John Kasay secures victory for New Orleans Saints against Atlanta Falcons in Week 10 – NFL Recap
A 26-yard field goal from kicker John Kasay in the overtime saw New Orleans Saints through 26-23 against Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at the Georgia Dome in the week 10 game of the National Football League.
During the overtime, Falcons got a chance to bring their punting team, but Coach Mike Smith decided against it and surprisingly called for continuing the on-going drive. The move progressed when Matt Ryan handed off to Michael
Turner, who never got settled and as soon as he received the ball, the defenders got all over him. At that moment, he lost not only the possession, but the game.
Four plays after the Saints got hold of the ball, Kasay scored his fourth field goal of the match giving the National Football Conference South leaders their seventh victory of the season.
Falcons’ Coach Mike Smith took full responsibility for the defeat of the defending division champions and said that it was his call not to go for the punt.
Talking to the press, Smith said, "It was something that I take full responsibility for. It's my decision and my decision solely. First we were going to punt the football, then had a change of heart and I wanted us to go for it.
I thought that the ball was inside a half a yard and thought that we could get it. I did not want to give the football back to the Saints. In previous games, in close games that we've played them, we've punted the ball and they've gotten the ball back with
three minutes to go in the ballgame. We never saw it again, and they ended up winning the ball game."
Falcons took early lead in the match when Matt Bryant scored a 36-yard field goal in the first quarter. A 52-yard goal from Kasay provided Saints the equaliser in the same quarter. Bryant scored another field goal in the second
quarter, this time from 29 yards, to put his team into the lead 6-3 again. Near the half time, a touchdown from Jimmy Graham took Saints up 10-6.
Both teams managed a touchdown in the third quarter and the score settled at 17-13 in favour of Saints. Kasay shined twice in the beginning of the fourth quarter scoring two field goals from 48 and 44 yards respectively to extend
the Saints’ lead to 23-13.
Falcons’ impressively hit back with a touchdown from Tony Gonzalez and a 27-yard field goal from Bryant right at the end of the quarter to level the scores 23-23 at full time.
The game went into the overtime and Saints eventually emerged victorious thanks to another field goal by Kasay.
The risk the Falcons’ coach took could have been well rewarded had the result come in their favour, but a defeat brought him under criticism from everywhere. However, Saints quarterback Drew Brees admired the coach’s ‘courage’
and said that it was not easy to make such a gutsy call.
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