FLOWERY BRANCH -- With each tight spiral and come-from-behind victory, the legend of "Matty Ice" continues to grow.
That was the nickname Boston College teammates gave Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan for his ability to stay cool under pressure and pull out victories.
He's continued those exploits in his professional career. His latest victim was the Green Bay Packers, who went down to the Falcons 20-17 after Ryan calmly directed another last-minute drive.
"He doesn't get bothered by the moment," Falcons coach Mike Smith said on Monday.
Against the Packers, Ryan was poised under pressure once more, completing four of five passes on the game’s final drive to set up kicker Matt Bryant’s game-winning 47-yard field goal.
However, Ryan admits to some nerves.
"I must hide my emotions pretty well, because I get fired up before the games," Ryan said. "I get anxious every week. It doesn't change."
Yet when the game is on the line, Ryan just drifts into a comfort zone. He showed Falcons fans glimpses of "Matty Ice" even as a rookie.
In the sixth start of his career, he drove the Falcons into field-goal range in the final 12 seconds against Chicago, a game Atlanta won 22-20.
Last season, he tossed a 6-yard touchdown pass to Tony Gonzalez with 1:38 to play to rally the Falcons to a 10-7 victory over the New York Jets.
This season, Ryan has pulled out three games in the final minute and is 1-1 in overtime games.
"When you get out there and you start playing the game, you know you've put in a great week of preparation," Ryan said. "That allows you to just go out there and play."
He has a simple philosophy in those tight spots.
"Cut it loose and trust in your abilities," Ryan said. "I've always been of the belief that if you prepare well, you can go out there and play your game."
In addition to beating Green Bay, Ryan has directed late drives this season in victories over New Orleans, San Francisco, Cincinnati and Baltimore.
The win over Green Bay was Ryan’s 12th career game-winning drive in the fourth quarter or overtime.
"Matt did a good job of leading us up and down the field," center Todd McClure said.
In a showdown with Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Ryan completed 24 of 28 pass attempts for a career-high 85.7 completion percentage, 198 yards and one touchdown. It was Ryan's third straight game with a passer rating of 100 or more.
Over his three years, the Falcons are 15-0 when Ryan has a passer rating over 100, including a 5-0 record this season.
In that final drive, the Packers attempted to take away Ryan's favorite targets, Roddy White and Gonzalez. He just went to Michael Jenkins and little-used Harry Douglas, who had caught just one pass in the previous four games.
"In that last 45 seconds, Matt spread the ball around," Smith said. "That just shows his maturity and that we are not just looking for one guy in those situations."
Ryan's steady hands under pressure have helped to make the Falcons' nearly invincible at the Georgia Dome. He's 19-1 in games that he's started at home and has won 15 in a row.
"Once you have a confidence level and some wins underneath your belt, you gets some confidence that helps you in the future," Smith said. "I think we have a very good comfort level playing at home. Our fans are a big part of that. They make it difficult for our opponents."
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