Atlanta Falcons defeat Detroit Lions – NFL Week 16 Recap
Atlanta Falcons defeated Detroit Lions by 31-18, in Week 16 game on Saturday, December 22, 2012, at Ford Field, Detroit, MI.
The game was completely in the hands of Falcons, despite better efforts made by Lions in rushing and passing game.
Falcons started their lead in first quarter when quarterback Matt Ryan threw a 44-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White.
At the end of the first quarter, Lions kicker Jason Hanson kicked a 34-yard field goal and started their score with 3-7.
Ryan threw a 39-yard pass to White, who scored a touchdown in the second quarter, followed by a 16-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Julio Jones.
Hanson kicked another field goal of 38 yards, when 2 seconds were left in the quarter, and took the score to 6-21.
Lions running back Mikel Leshoure rushed for 1 yard and scored first touchdown for the team in third quarter. Falcons did not score in the quarter.
Hanson kicked a 20-yard field goal in the beginning of the fourth quarter. At 7:12, Ryan threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Michael Palmer and took the lead to 28-16.
Falcons kicker Matt Bryant kicked a 20-yard field goal and took the score to 31-16.
In the final minutes of the game, Falcons running back Michael Turner was tackled by Lions’ defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch in the end zone, which helped Lions to gain two meaningless points.
Talking about the game, Ryan said:
"It's great. Our confidence is high and our experience - good and bad - has helped us. The key is to keep the focus where it's been."
Ryan’s passer rating was 142.6 in the game. He completed 25 of 32 passes for 279 yards and scored four touchdowns.
Lions’ wide receiver Calvin Johnson had an amazing night, despite losing the game. He has now completed 1,892 receiving yards in this season, breaking Jerry Rice’s record of receiving 1,848 yards in a season.
It was a special moment for Johnson. Lions head coach Jim Schwartz said of him:
"I've been an NFL fan my whole life, dating back to watching Johnny Unitas and Raymond Berry as a kid, and I've coached in this league for 19 years. I've seen a lot of Hall of Famers, but I've never seen a better player than Calvin Johnson.”
Ryan also praised Johnson, he said:
"Calvin is one of the best players in the game and I think everybody is a big fan of his. He's one of the most genuinely nice people you could meet."
At 13-2, Falcons have clinched the division title and home-field advantage in the playoffs, while Lions are standing last in National Football Conference (NFC) North at 4-11.
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