Struggles in the Face of Chances
BLOGGER’S NOTE: For additional coverage of Sunday’s game against the Panthers, visit AF.com and The Beat Blog, powered by John Manasso.
Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense continued to have their struggles Sunday in Carolina, but the sophomore quarterback had the ball when it counted, halftime adjustments erased an 11-point lead and Atlanta a chance at what would have been a key division win on the road.
Ryan went 8-of-10 in the third quarter and found tight end Justin Peelle with a 3-yard touchdown pass to pull the Falcons to within a score of taking the lead.
But the chances found a way to collapse in the second half.
Atlanta lost the game 28-19 and fell to 5-4 on the season (1-4 on the road and 1-2 in the division).
It wasn’t the game Ryan or his teammates expected or wanted. The first half included Michael Turner running wild over a Panthers defense that recently lost outside linebacker Thomas Davis (111 yards on nine carries certainly sounds nice).
But the Falcons Pro Bowl running back left the game with an ankle injury, not to return.
Atlanta trotted into the halftime locker room down 21-10, but halftime adjustments, including a healthy dose of running back Jason Snelling along the edges and Ryan on quick passes, paid off.
Ryan’s throw to Peelle had the Falcons in place to take the lead with 6:35 to play on a 34-yard Jason Elam field goal attempt. The kick sailed wide left, forcing the team’s defense to get a stop.
That happened, but Ryan’s second interception of the day — and the resulting 45-yard touchdown run by Jonathan Stewart — ended hope for this day.
Ryan now has 7 touchdowns and 10 interceptions over his last five games. The second-year quarterback finished the game 22-of-41 for 224 yards, a touchdown and the aforementioned interceptions.
Playing for Turner, Snelling rushed for 61 yards and a score.
The loss is surely perplexing to Falcons fans and the team alike. The Panthers were better than the 3-5 record but, if the Falcons are to make a run to the playoffs, they can’t afford too many losses to teams with a sub-par winning percentage.
That will be discussed at length in the media but likely only in passing in the locker room and team meetings.
A loss is a loss.
And the 24-hour rule is never broken.
Though it may be easy to point fingers, I’ve been in the NFL long enough to know the “win as a team, lose as a team” attitude is heartfelt and true. Too short is the turnaround before facing the New York Giants (another 5-4 team) on the road.
There will be additional struggles — the season’s too long to be perfect — but there will also be successes.
And there will always be chances.
MORE FALCONS-PANTHERS GAME COVERAGE:
- GAMEDAY LIVE: Complete Falcons-Panthers coverage from AF.com
- GAME CENTER: Stats and more on the game from NFL.com
- GAME SIDEBAR: John Manasso looks at key moments from the game
- BEAT BLOG: Game updates and insight in The Beat Blog
- GAME NOTEBOOK: Notes from the Bank of America Stadium press box
- FIRST TAKE: Exclusive postgame interviews from AF.com
- MULTIMEDIA: More Falcons-Panthers game interviews and highlights
- QUOTABLE: Postgame thoughts from Falcons players | Panthers
- J. MIKE’S MISSIVES: Thoughts on the game from the managing editor
- INACTIVES: Falcons-Panthers game inactives and starters
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