Ryan answers Rodgers with last- ditch drive
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons found themselves in another tight game.
This time, they came through with the winning play.
After two excruciating losses, the Falcons on Sunday rallied for a 3332 victory over the Green Bay Packers when Matt Ryan threw an 11yard touchdown pass to Mohamed Sanu with 31 seconds remaining.
With Julio Jones shut down in the second half, Ryan turned to Sanu to bail out the Falcons ( 5- 3). He caught five passes for 50 yards on the final possession, the last of them for a touchdown in the back of the end zone to cap a 75- yard drive after he got matched against linebacker Jake Ryan.
The Packers player didn’t have a chance. Sanu raced past him and hauled in the pass right in front of the goalposts, the ball easily clearing Ryan’s outstretched hands.
“We’ve got the greatest receiver in the NFL, but we’ve got other great guys in that room, too,” Sanu said. “When our number is called upon, we went out there to do what we do.”
The Falcons were coming off a 26- 24 loss at Seattle and a 33- 30 overtime setback to the Chargers in which they squandered a 17- point lead at home.
Given what happened a year ago — the Falcons started the season 6- 1, then lost six in a rowand missed the playoffs — it was imperative to turn things around against the Packers. It didn’t look good when Aaron Rodgers threw his fourth touchdown pass, putting his team ahead with 3: 58 remaining.
“It’s just finishing,” Sanu said. “We didn’t finish the last two weeks and we finished this week.”
Sanu had nine catches for 84 yards, both season highs in his first year with the team. The Falcons needed every one of them, since Jones was held to three catches for 29 yards and targeted only once in the second half — a dropped pass on the final possession.
But Jones helped Sanu get open on the winning play, drawing two defenders when they lined up on the same side of the field.
Ryan was 28- for- 35 for 288 yards and three touchdowns.
“They don’t call the guy Matty Ice for no reason,” Sanu said. “The guy has ice in his veins.”
Rodgers threw for 246 yards, teaming up with a bunch of unknown receivers as the banged- up Packers ( 4- 3) played without six starters. Linebacker Clay Matthews and receiver Randall Cobb were among those who couldn’t go because of hamstring injuries.
Three receivers — Geronimo Allison, Trevor Davis and Jeff Janis — got their first career touchdowns. Allison had just been promoted from the practice squad and never caught a pass. Ditto for Davis, a rookie who had mainly been used as a returner.
“Our job is to make plays regardless of who’s in there,” Allison said.
The Packers took a 32- 26 lead after the Falcons were caught with too many men on the field, giving the Packers a first down rather than having to go for a fourth- and- one. Rodgers went to Janis for a seven- yard touchdown with 3: 58 remaining, followed by a two- point conversion.