Matt Bryant has the very fondest memory of the Seattle Seahawks in the playoffs, and in fact it’s part of his work ethic now.
The Falcons’ kicker doesn’t have to be prompted to reflect upon the 49-yard field goal he nailed with eight seconds left in the game to push Atlanta past the Seahawks, 30-28, in a divisional round playoff game in the Georgia Dome almost four years ago to the day.
He visualizes the moment regularly to prepare for his work.
“Sometimes, I go back and look at past kicks, big kicks for instance like that one just to have that mental sensation to reflect on, to know how that felt,” he said Tuesday. “The pressure memory, and just experience the feeling to repeat it.”
We’re chatting with a 40-year-old, first-time Pro Bowler here. He might as well be a kid when you ask him questions like this.
Bryant bailed out the Falcons on Jan. 12, 2013. The kicker was the man.
Atlanta dominated Seattle on the way to a 27-7 fourth-quarter lead, but Seahawks rookie quarterback Russell Wilson just would not go away.
He completed 24-of-36 passes that day for 385 yards and two scores. He high-tailed it for another 60 yards and a touchdown.
When running back Marshawn Lynch barreled into the end zone from the 2 with 31 seconds left, matters looked abundantly bleak as Seattle led 28-27.
Quarterback Matt Ryan’s postseason record was 0-3. Head coach Mike Smith was 0-4. All-world tight end Tony Gonzalez was 0-5. It looked like more of the same.
Nobody was predicting that Gonzalez would cry tears of joy later.
After Jaquizz Rodgers returned a kickoff to Atlanta’s 28-yard line, the good birds had 25 seconds left.
Ryan found slot receiver Harry Douglas for 22 yards on the next play, and then Gonzalez for 19 to the Seattle 31.
Atlanta used its last timeout.
Then, after a Seattle timeout, Bryant iced it.
What a memory.
“Probably the best ball that I ever hit, coming off my foot, and just how big that game was for myself and for the organization,” he said. “Sometimes, it will randomly come up. I may, for instance that Seattle game a lot of fans and people may remember that.
“That game comes across my Twitter feed. You watch it, and you just remember that feeling. Creature of habit. You try to repeat everything to can.”
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