Falcons make every minute count in beating Packers

By D. Orlando Ledbetter

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Falcons coach Mike Smith has instilled in his team the need to play the "full" 60 minutes.

They accomplished that objective again on Sunday, as they went into the final minute to pull out a 20-17 victory over the Green Bay Packers at the Georgia Dome.

Falcons kicker Matt Bryant booted a 47-yard field goal with nine seconds left, giving the Falcons their third win this season in the last minute of regulation, coupled with an overtime victory.

The Falcons improved to 9-2, which guaranteed the team's third consecutive winning season for the first time in franchise history. The win kept them alone in first place, a game ahead of the New Orleans Saints (8-3), in the NFC South. The Packers, contenders in the NFC North, dropped to 7-4.

The outcome also gave the Falcons the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Packers and could help determine seeding for the NFC playoffs. If the Falcons continue on this likely march to the playoffs, they could see the Packers again. The victory might keep them from making a January trip to frosty Lambeau Field.

"This is really big," center Todd McClure said. "You want to take it one game at a time, but when we get to the end of December and beginning of January, we'll look back at this win and it will have a big impact on where we play our games in the playoffs."

The Falcons haven't wrapped up a playoff berth just yet. But for a team that has won five straight for the first time since 1998, and has won nine of its last 10 games, you can't blame them for feeling confident.

"We still have a lot of work to do," McClure said. "But this is a huge win in that aspect."

The Falcons used their power-running attack to dominate the time of possession and to limit the secondary's exposure to Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Michael Turner led a pounding ground attack as he rushed for 110 yards on 23 carries and scored a key 1-yard run to make it 17-10 with 14:24 to play.

Matt Ryan, operating at a more deliberate pace out of the power formations instead of the team's no-huddle offense, completed 24 of 28 passes for 198 yards and one touchdown. Atlanta won the time of possession battle, 31:40 to 28:20.

The Falcons never trailed in the game, but appeared headed for overtime after the Packers put together a 90-yard touchdown drive to tie the game 17-17 with 56 seconds to play.

But the Falcons weren't done either.

Earlier in the season against San Francisco, they were down and had the ball with 1:22 to play. They beat the 49ers 16-14 with a 43-yard field goal from Bryant with two seconds left on Oct. 3.

They also went into the last minute to beat Baltimore 26-21 on a 33-yard touchdown pass from Ryan to Roddy White with 20 seconds left in the game on Nov. 11.

"When we saw them getting close to the goal line, we started telling each other, ‘Let's go win it, we've done this before,'" McClure said.

The Falcons nearly won the game on the kickoff return. Eric Weems hit a hole and was about to shift into overdrive when Green Bay's Matt Wilhelm nearly ripped off his face-mask. The Packers were called for a 15-yard penalty and the Falcons started at Green Bay's 49-yard line.

The Falcons needed only 20 yards to get into Bryant's range. Ryan, throwing quick passes to Roddy White and Michael Jenkins, and two to Harry Douglas, moved the Falcons to the 29 before Bryant was summoned and executed.

"I'm having a good year, but I've had good years in the past," Bryant said. "I think this has been my most eventful season so far."

By now, the Falcons feel at ease when Bryant, who's made 24 of 27 field goals this season, comes on the field.

"He's been clutch for us all year," Ryan said.