Former Falcons kicker Morten Andersen, the NFL’s all-time leading scorer who recently was named a finalist for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, kicked the game-winning 38-yard field goal in overtime to send the franchise to its first and only Super Bowl. He recalls his thoughts during arguably the greatest game in Falcons history.
I remember the feeling of karma that it was going to end up OK for us in the NFC title game against the Vikings. Even when Gary Anderson lined up (to attempt) that 38-yarder from the left hash with three minutes and whatever time was left in the fourth quarter. We all kind of felt that he actually was going to miss that kick.
He did. So (we felt that) this is our time to go get it, tie it up and get it into overtime.
I really had a pretty good feeling when Chuck Smith got the ball back right before halftime on the Randall Cunningham fumble. I think it was Cunningham. So I felt pretty good at halftime because we were still in the game. We were trailing most of the game obviously, but they had a pretty proficient offense. I think they set a scoring record for the league that year. I was pretty pleased that we hadn’t gotten blown out by the end of the first half.
We hung with them. We were down by six at halftime (20-14). We climbed back at the end.
It was really a great team effort. That was a great throw by Chris Chandler to Terance Mathis there in the end zone (a 16-yard touchdown pass to tie the score in regulation). Then we had to kick the extra point twice. They jumped offside, and I had to re-kick. I felt that kick had a little more riding on it than the game-winner in overtime. If you don’t make that, you don’t go to overtime.
I knew we were going to win when we finally moved the ball in overtime and got into field-goal range. I knew at that point we’d win the game and that we’d be in the Super Bowl. The kick was made on the sidelines, the night before, the week before. So that was just a foregone conclusion. It was in my wheelhouse. I felt very calm and good about it.
My teammates were down on their knees holding hands, so I’m not very sure they felt the same way. But they weren’t driving the car. I was driving it.
I knew (the Vikings) were going to call a timeout. I knew about that scheme. That actually gave me extra time to find my target line and get my breathing the way I wanted. It was just a matter of trusting each other pulling the trigger.
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