The Green Bay Packers are upset.
Upset that they lost their game against the Atlanta Falcons after being sure that the game would go into overtime.
Unfortunately, they didn’t factor in Matt Ryan’s superb passing, and a field goal kick by Matt Bryant with 9 seconds left in the game.
The Falcons are still the top team in the NFC after winning on Sunday 20-17.
The 9-2 Falcons were aware of how important this game was to them, and how it would affect their future.
"I have no plans of going to Lambeau Field in January," Atlanta receiver Roddy White said. "I plan on staying right here and sleeping in my own bed in the playoffs."
For the Falcons, this was their sixth straight win, marking their longest streak since 1998, when they reached the Super Bowl for the first and last time. This is also their third successive winning record, which is actually impressive,
seeing as they had never won even two in a row before this.
"It's great to get a winning season," Coach Mike Smith said. "But the expectations and goals we talk about are a lot higher than that."
The Packers called a timeout just before Bryant’s first game winning kick, meaning that it didn’t count and he would have to go at it again.
No problem for the 35 year old kicker, seeing as he already made two game winning kicks in this season alone. His second attempt went 47 yards downfield and went through the uprights with plenty of room to spare.
"Pressure is what you feel when you're not prepared," Bryant said. "I've been preparing for that since I was 6 years old. Was there a little bit of pressure? Yeah. But I was prepared."
His second game winning kick marked the end of a game, which both teams were hoping to win to secure an easy spot in the playoffs. The game was full of defensive struggles and extreme fourth down plays, and a significant kickoff
return by Eric Weems.
With 56 seconds left in the game, Packers QB Aaron Rodgers threw a 10 yard pass to Jordy Nelson for the tying TD. On the kickoff return, Weems ran up the middle and was pulled to the ground by Matt Wilhelm with a facemask tackle.
The Falcons started their drive at the Packers’ 29 yard line, with Ryan making four short passes, followed by Bryant’s winning kick.
The Falcons weren’t worried when Green Bay made the tying TD, with Ryan as QB. He went 24 of 28 for 198 yards, and also had a 4 yard TD pass to Tony Gonzalez for the Falcons’ first TD.
"We've got Matty Ice," White said. "Ice cold. He just keeps moving the sticks."
Weems got the crowd going after his kickoff return. He caught the ball in the end zone and found a gap in the middle of the field. It looked as though he might go all the way, but Wilhelm decided that he wouldn’t, pulling him down
by his facemask for a 15 yard penalty.
"The penalties were unacceptable," Packers Coach Mike McCarthy said. "You can't have them."
In this game, the Packers gave up more points that in their last three games combined. In their last three wins over the New York Jets, Dallas Cowboys, and Minnesota Vikings, they gave up a total of only 10 points.
The game started with Bryant kicking a 38 yard FG in the first, followed by the Packers’ Mason Crosby, evening the score with a 22 yard FG to put both teams at 3 points each.
Ryan passed to Gonzalez in the second to bring the Falcons up, 10-3.
In the third, Rodgers ran for one yard to even the score at 10-10.
In the fourth, Michael Turner ran a yard for the Falcons to make it 17-10, followed by Rodgers’ passing to Nelson for a 10 yard TD pass to even the score again at 17 each.
Last but not least, Bryant kicked his 47 yard winning field goal.
The Packers’ next game will be against the San Francisco 49ers on December 5, while the Falcons will play at Raymond James Stadium against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the same day.
Stay tuned!
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