Time Runs Out On Rams Comeback
This was truly a never say die game today as the Atlanta Falcons advanced to the NFC Championship Game with a 35-28 win over the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams were down 28-7, 35-14, and had a chance in the final minute but could not come up with an onsides kick and fell 35-28. Here's how it all played out.
The Rams took the opening kickoff at the LA 28 and went 3 and out. The Falcons took the ball on their own 34 and drove the ball into rams territory before Matt Ryan was intercepted at the Rams 28. The stingy Falcons D held the Rams to another 3 and out. Eric Dickerson and Stephen Jackson couldn't get anything going on the ground and QB Vince Ferragamo could not complete a pass. Then came the first of many big special teams plays. The Falcons blocked the punt and recovered on the Rams 8. After 2 William Andrews runs got the ball to the 5 , Matt Ryan hit RB Jamaal Anderson for a 5 yd score on the 1st play of the 2nd qtr. to give Atlanta a 7-0 lead. On the Rams next possession Ferragamo was picked off by LB Fulton Kuykendall and the Falcons were again in business at the LA 32. The Dirty Birds then drove the ball to the LA 5 and Ryan hit Anderson for his second 5 yd TD and a 14-0 lead. The Rams failed to pick up a first down again after a good kickoff return and punted again this time a touchback and Atlanta got the ball back on their 20 with 1:46 left in the half. On 2nd and 8 William Andrews made a great cut back run and went down the sideline 61 yards to the Rams 17. Just 2 plays later Matt Ryan got the hatrick, a third 5 yd pass this time to Gerald Riggs and the falcons had a commanding 21-0 lead at the half and would get the 2nd half kickoff. LA coach John Robinson fired up his team during the break and put Jim Everett in the game at QB for a ineffective Ferragamo. The Falcons started the half at their own 30 and on 2nd down Jack Youngblood intercepted a deflected pass and returned it to Atlanta 24 yd line. Two plays later Everett hit Henry Ellard from 6 yds out and the Rams were on the board 21-7 at the 3:29 mark of the 3rd qtr.. Atlanta started from their own 28. On 2nd and 10 Deacon Jones sacked Ryan for a 13 yd loss back to the Atlanta 15 and the Rams were gaining momentum. Then the big play of the game. On 3rd and 23 Ryan hit Jamaal Anderson on a simple swing pass and with a great block from Alfred Jenkins Anderson lumbered 69 yards all the way to the LA 16
ending the 3rd quarter. On the third play of the 4th qtr. Ryan threw his 4th TD pass of the game with a 16 yd strike to Andre Rison and a 28-7 lead with just over 12 minutes left in the game and what seemed an insurmountable 28-7 lead. LeRoy Irvin returned the kickoff to the Falcons 44 and this is where the rams special teams began their rally and comeback. A Falcon penalty moved the ball to the 39 then Everett hit the speedy Flipper Anderson down the sideline for a 39 yd TD to make it 28-14. Allen Rossum returned the kick to midfield and the Falcons began to work the clock. Andrews gained 4 and 3 yards on consecutive runs to the LA 43 and on 3rd and 3 Jamaal Anderson broke off a 27 yd run to the Rams 15. After Andrews gained only 1 on 1st down Matt Ryan capped off a career day with his 5th TD pass of the day hitting Alfred jenkins on a 15 yd slant to put the Falcons up by 21 again 35-14 with just 3:58 left in the game. LA got right back in the game when Nolan Cromwell returned the kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and cut the Atlanta lead to 35-21 with 3:34 left in the game. The Rams run defense then dug in and held Atlanta to 3 and out but burned all of their timeouts in the process. With just 1:47 left in the game the Rams blocked the Atlanta punt and recovered on the Falcons 25. On 1st down Everett hit Dickerson for 5 yds but a holding penalty pushed the ball back to the Atlanta 35. After 3 incomplete passes set up a 4th and 10 Everett dropped back and hit Issiac Bruce with a 35 yd laser for his 3rd TD of the second half and it was all of a sudden 35-28 with just :58 seconds left. The monumental Rams comeback finally came to a halt when they failed to recover the onsides kick. Atlanta ran one last play and time ran out on the Rams. The Rams came that close to pulling off the biggest comeback in league history. The happy but staggering Falcons celebrated as they will now host the NFC Championship Game next week vs either Minnesota or Washington. What a game.
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09-23-2010, 05:09 PM
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