The first half the game made Falcons fans nervous, but if they stuck around or resisted the temptation to change the station, they were treated to a thrilling come from behind win at home for the Dirty Birds.
The Falcons, who fell two scores behind at one point, won the game by the slimest of margins, 25 to 24, against a Green Bay Packers team led by new quarterback Jordan Love. The last time the Falcons played Cheesehead Nation, they lost 16-30, and their QB, Aaron Rodgers, was who is now the NY Jets QB, who is out for the season.
The game trended towards a similar result, with mistakes and penalites, along with bad calls by refs that helped a stout Packers defense and capable Love put points on the board around a seemingly discombobulated Falcons team. QB Desmond Ridder struggled to punch through anything past the end zone outside of the second and fourth quarters. Even the usually unflappable Younghoe Koo missed one of his kicks.
But the tide started to turn in the fourth quarter. The Falcons stiched together a successful touchdown drive, which led to a go-for-it-on-4th down decision where Head Coach Arthur Smith gambled on his guys and got the first down they needed. That gave the Falcons a touchdown, capped off with a successful (and very needed) Koo field goal that put the Falcons on top for the first time in the game. The Falcons defense managed to hold the team back as seconds ticked off to secure the win.
Bijan Robinson showed again why his presence on the Falcons roster is a gift. He scored 124 rushing yards and 48 recieving yards with 19 carries. (The team as a whole got 211 rushing yards.) Ridder got 237 passing yards and went 19 of 32. He rushed 6 yards for a touchdown in the 4th quarter. (By contrast, Love went 14 of 25 for 151 yards, 3 TD’s.)
Drake London got 6 receptions for 67 yards, resulting in a touchdown.
The Falcons were most active in the 4th quarter, with 13 points. Koo kicks provided points in the 1st and 3rd quarter, and a TD (and a missed FG) in the 2nd. The Packers (who’s dedicated fanbase was very noticable at Mercedes Benz Stadium today) scored most of their 24 points in the 3rd Quarter, 14.
Ridder, at the after-game press confrence, said that the offense “not the best offense out there” and thought he himself has room for improvement, giving himself a C grade for his performance today. His Head Coach had a more positive assesment.
“I thought it was a pretty efficient day. He’s a winner,” said Arthur Smith about his QB. “He embodies what we’re all about.”
Smith has praise for his team and their perserverance throught the game, but their was one other factor he thought played a role in the Falcons going undefeated at 2-0 this young season: the Fans.
“I think our crowd really made a difference [in the outcome], said Smith. “You could really feel them on that last drive in the game.”
The Falcons will need to feel that energy from afar, as they will head north to Detroit next Sunday to face the Lions, who are 1-1 after losing to the Seahawks in overtime, 37-31.
