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 Now the Falcons hope that a dramatic overtime victory over the
Saints will kick-start them to a rebound season in 2014.
Matt Bryant, who sent the game into overtime with a 51-yarder at
regulation time expired, connected from 52 yards early in overtime
as the Falcons opened with a 37-34 victory Sunday over the rival
Saints at the Georgia Dome.
"Well, it feels great. Let's first make that clear," said Falcons
coach Mike Smith. "It feels great."
The winning field goal came after safety William Moore knocked the
ball loose from Saints wide receiver Marques Colston and linebacker
Joplu Bartu recovered at the Saints' 38-yard line when New Orleans
opened the fifth quarter with the ball.
Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan completed 31 of 43 passes for a
team-record 448 yards and three touchdowns as the Falcons set a team
mark with 568 total yards. Ryan has a Falcons-best 156 career TD
passes, two more than Steve Bartkowski.
"I thought that Matt may have played his best game," Smith said. "He
was very, very accurate."
It was just the Falcons' fourth victory in their past 17 games with
the Saints, who had started Atlanta's skid in 2013 with a 23-17
victory at New Orleans to open the season.
"We gave up 500 yards. That ridiculous," Saints strong safety Kenny
Vacarro said. "We had ... I had more missed tackles than all last
year."
Saints quarterback Drew Brees was 29 of 42 passing, but had an
interception in the end zone and just one touchdown.
"That one really bugs me," Brees said of the interception. "If I put
that thing one more foot in front of (Brandin) Cooks it's a
touchdown."
Bryant's 51-yarder at the end of the fourth quarter came after
Saints running back Mark Ingram bulled in from the 3-yard line for
his second touchdown with 80 seconds left to climax a lead-taking
71-yard drive for the Saints.
The Falcons had gone ahead with just under three minutes left as
running back Jacquizz Rodgers weaved his way 17 yards through the
Saints, the topper of a 94-yard drive. The Saints answered, going 80
yards in 12 plays to go up 27-24 on Ingram's first 3-yard touchdown
run with just under nine minutes to play.
Down by 13 points twice in the second quarter, the Falcons took a
24-20 lead in the closing seconds of the third quarter when running
back Antone Smith took a short pass from Ryan and sped 54 yards for
a touchdown.
The score came after nickel back Robert McClain intercepted Brees in
the end zone. The touchdown was the second time the Falcons had gone
80 yards in the third quarter. Their first drive had taken 12 plays
after the second half kickoff, with Ryan hitting tight end Levine
Toilolo from a yard out for the score.
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"Matt was calm, cool and collected, He never flinched," center Joe Hawley
said. "Every time they would score, he would just go back out there and
look at it as another opportunity to score."
After Shayne Graham kicked field goals of 31 and 50 yards for New Orleans
in the first quarter, the Saints marched 80 yards to go up 13-0 early in
the second after free safety Jairus Byrd stripped wide receiver Julio
Jones of the ball as he neared the end zone. Running back Khiry Robinson
scored from the 2-yard line.
The Falcons then drove 80 yards themselves, with Ryan hitting wide
receiver Roddy While for a 2-yard score out, but then the Saints mounted
their 80-yard march of the quarter, which Brees finished with a 3-yard
flip to rookie wide receiver Brandon Cooks with 20 seconds remaining.
The Falcons were able to cut New Orleans' lead to 20-10 at halftime as
Ryan hooked up with White for 39 yards and Bryant kicked a 40-yard field
goal as time expired.
"We'll bounce back. Don't put the loss on anybody," Saints coach Sean
Payton.
NOTES: Falcons rookie OT Jake Matthews, the No. 2 overall pick in the
draft, sprained his left ankle in the second quarter and did not return.
The Falcons said after the game there was no update on his status. ...
Saints ILB Curtis Lofton missed time in the second quarter, but returned
for the second half. ... Former Falcons All-Pro defensive end Claude
Humphrey, inducted at Canton in July, received his Hall of Fame ring
during halftime ceremonies. ... Saints WR Kenny Stills missed the game
because of a lingering quad injury, with Joseph Morgan started in his
place. ... NT John Jenkins was inactive for the Saints, as was WR Nick
Toon. ... The Falcons had six new defensive starters from the opener
against the Saints a year ago, and three different offensive linemen.
... DT Corey Peters, coming back from an Achilles injury, was inactive
for the Falcons.
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