NFC South: Falcons Dodge Loss, Saints Fail Again, Bucs Lose in Final Seconds
Week 4 provided some great last-minute wins but for the NFC South, not every team had things go their way. The Atlanta Falcons dodged their first loss with an end-of-game winning field goal against the Carolina Panthers. They now sit at 4-0.
The New Orleans Saints weren’t so lucky and saw a lead slip away thanks to field-goal kicking. They are now 0-4.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a loss in the final seconds thanks to a Washington Redskins field goal.
Falcons defeat Panthers, 30-28
It was not Matty Ice’s day as he underwent a career-high seven sacks but he was clutch at the game’s end.
The Falcons watched their 24-14 second-half lead slip away but thanks to a Panther quarterback Cam Newton fumble and a Roddy White catch, the stars aligned for the win.
With about a minute remaining in the game and a Carolina 28-27 lead, Falcons wide receiver Roddy White completed a 59-yard pass from Ryan that enabled a 40-yard field attempt by kicker Matt Bryant.
The kick was good at the five-second mark and the Falcons were able to keep their perfect season.
For the day, Ryan was 25 for 40, 369 yards, three touchdowns and one pick.
For the Panthers, the game will be marred by coach Ron Rivera’s decision to punt on a fourth-and-1 rather than go for it late in the game. The ball landed on the one-yard line which resulted in a drive that got the game-winning field goal for the Falcons.
According to ESPN, the Panthers had a 99.1 percent chance of winning the game if they had converted to a first down and just by going for it, they had an 83.5 percent win possibility.
On a positive note, Newton had a better game than his last one: He went 15 for 24 with two touchdowns. The quarterback was the team’s leading rusher with 9 carries for 86 yards and one touchdown.
With their 4-0 record, what’s the likelihood the Falcons will win the Super Bowl? The odds are 8 to 1.
Green Bay Packers defeat New Orleans Saints 28-27
The Saints saw their opportunity to take the lead and possibly grab their first win slip through their fingers as kicker Garrett Hartley missed a 48-yard field goal with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
But before the missed kick, Hartley hit a 43-yarder but the Saints had a holding call. With the penalty, Hartley then got ready to kick a 53-yarder.
Not so fast.
The Packers suffered their own penalty–an encroachment–and Hartley’s ensuing opportunity to hit the 48-yarder was off at the end.
It was a disappointing day all around for the Saints as they watched a 21-7 lead in the second quarter go away with 7:00 minutes remaining in the game.
For quarterback Drew Brees, his numbers painted a good game: 446 yards and three touchdowns.
The player also tied the all-time league record by Johnny Unitas as in Brees’ last 47 straight regular-season games, he has thrown a minimum of one touchdown.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had 319 passing yards, four touchdowns and an interception.
What’s next for the Saints? They’ll face the San Diego Chargers next Sunday night.
Redskins defeat Bucs 24-22
After numerous missed field goal attempts in Sunday’s game, Redskins kicker Billy Cundiff got it together and hit a 41-yard field goal with five seconds remaining for the win.
Down 21-6 at halftime, the Bucs had a lot of work to do to play catch up but thanks to wide receiver Vincent Jackson, running back LeGarrette Blount and kicker Connor Barth, the team finally took a 22-21 advantage with 1:47 remaining.
It was a little bit too late as rookie Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III marched his team into field goal range and Cundiff was clutch for the win.
For the day, Bucs quarterback Josh Freeman was 24 for 39, 299 yards, one touchdown and one pick.
Griffin had another stellar day, going 26 for 35 and 323 yards. He was the team’s second leading rusher with 7 carries for 43 yards and one touchdown.
With his continuous high-performing games, Griffin has 4.5 odds to win the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
