If this your first time reading my blog welcome! and Put’em Up
(Saying Put’em Up is my Moniker! Its my greeting to you, my way of saying hello to each other… plus if you come on the show you better be ready to defend yourself Put’emmmmm Up!)
Now let’s get to it!
It’s a ride I don’t want to get on anymore this season. I know you rode the Rollercoaster with the Falcons on Sunday as I did and at one point I hurled thinking the ride was over! ( when seattle scored) but it was not over as Matty Ice was just that ICE. The Falcons survived the ride and won, thanks to Matt Bryant’s clutch 49-yard field with 8 seconds remaining, this was the vindicating victory for Mike Smith and fifth-year Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, who finally rid themselves of the onus of going winless and 0-3 in the playoffs since arriving to start a new chapter in franchise history in 2008. It’s over! They did it! Let’s move on.
The Falcons simply had to win and a loss after being in total command in the game’s first three quarters would have been almost unimaginable. But they won and now, there will be even more at stake next Sunday in the Georgia Dome, when the No. 2 seeded San Francisco 49ers (12-4-1) visit, and the Falcons (14-3) take part in their first NFC Championship Game since losing at Philadelphia in January 2005. There can’t possibly be more pressure on Atlanta than there was this week, but the Falcons have never had a home game with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, so that’s a first in their 47-season franchise history.
We will worry about that later this week, the Falcons who had not won a play-off game since 2004 are in the NFC Championship Game…again.
The Falcons got here this season by opening things up on offense, and pushing the envelope whenever possible. In a weekend full of amazing story lines the Biggest was that Ryan, Smith and the rest of the Falcons could indeed win when the pressure of the playoffs was on. Dukesism “When it matters most ” { my description of what the best players do in the biggest moments } Ask your self ”when it mattered most who stepped up and did they deliver! Produce! Get it done! ? Matt Ryan!!!!!! congratulations
Here are some other things you should know about Sunday’s Win!
Had the Seahawks won, it would have been the largest 4th quarter comeback in NFL postseason history. BUT THEY DID NOT!
Largest 4th-Quarter Comeback Wins
Postseason History
Opp Playoff Round Trailed By Won By
49ers NYG 2002 Wild Card 16 1
Cowboys SF 1972 Div Rnd 15 2
Cowboys ATL 1980 Div Rnd 14 3
Steelers CLE 2002 Wild Card 13 3
Falcons PHI 1978 Wild Card 13 1
Dolphins KC 1990 Wild Card 13 1
Seahawks rallied from 20-point 4th quarter deficit but lost the game.
Falcons Game-Winning Drives
2012 Season, Including Playoffs
Opponent Wk Plays-Yds Time
Panthers 4 5-77 0:54
at Redskins 5 6-69 2:54
>Raiders 6 7-43 0:39
>Cowboys 9 12-71 5:04
Cardinals 11 7-70 3:04
at Buccaneers 12 6-64 2:33
Seahawks Div 3-41 0:23
The Falcons won their first playoff game with Head Coach Mike Smith and QB Matt Ryan (both arrived in 2008). They were 0-3 in the playoffs under Smith and Ryan entering this game. The Falcons will play in the conference championship for the first time since the 2004 NFC Championship game, when the Michael Vick-led Falcons lost to Donavan McNabb’s Eagles, 27-10. It will be their third NFC Championship Game in franchise history (1-1).The Falcons will host the NFC Championship for the first time in franchise history.
The Falcons scored on five of their first six possessions (FG, INT, touchdown, FG, touchdown, touchdown). They had 417 yards of total offense in the game, their second-most in a playoff game in franchise history (427 yards vs Vikings in 1998 NFC Championship).
Most Game-Winning Drives
2012 Season, Including Playoffs
Matt Ryan 7
Andrew Luck 7
Tony Romo 5
Russell Wilson 5
- Ryan has more game-winning drives than any other quarterback since entering the league in 2008. He has 23 game-winning drives, including playoffs.
- Ryan’s 47-yard touchdown to Roddy White was the longest playoff TD pass of Ryan’s career.
The Falcons had 167 yards rushing, their third-most ever in a playoff game. The last time they had more rushing yards in a playoff game was on 1/15/2005, when they had 327 rushing yards vs Marc Bulger’s Rams in the 2004 Divisional Round (Warrick Dunn 142, Vick 119 for Falcons).
RB Michael Turner had 14 rushes for 98 yards. His 98 rushing yards are his most in a game since Week 9, when had 102 yards rushing vs the Cowboys.Turner has 14-or-fewer rushes in each of his last 3 games, and has not had 20 rushes in a game since Week 9 (20 rushes vs Cowboys).Turner’s 7.0 yards per rush is his best single-game mark since Week 4 (7.9 yards per rush vs Panthers).
RB Jacquizz Rodgers had 10 rushes for 64 yards. Rodgers steamrolled Seahawks S Earl Thomas on a 45-yard rush on the final play of the first quarter. It is the longest rush of Rodgers’ NFL career (regular season or playoffs).
TE Tony Gonzalez had 6 receptions for 51 yards, TD. This is the first playoff win of Gonzalez’s 16-year NFL career (was 0-5). Among active players, only Lions kicker Jason Hanson had played in more playoff games without a win.The touchdown was Gonzalez’s 3rd career postseason TD reception, his first since the 2006 playoffs (1/6/2007 vs Colts in Wild Card round).
WR Julio Jones had 6 receptions for 59 yards. Jones also had his first career interception on the game’s final play, a Hail Mary attempt.
WR Roddy White had 5 receptions for 76 yards, TD. White has 3 career postseason receiving TD, tied with Terance Mathis for the most playoff TD receptions in Falcons history.
Join us everyday on SportsRadio 92.9 “The Game” Atlanta’s Sports Station from 2pm-6pm Weekdays for my show “Gametime” with Kordell Stewart and Rachel Baribeau and get at me on Twitter @putemupcdukes and get in the Game!
Put’em Up
