This is not the Falcons team fans have become accustomed to. At no point in time in the last six seasons would Atlanta have won that football game last night, but this is very clearly a different team.
Kirk Cousins, Raheem Morris, and the rest of the club wanted to win for Matt Ryan; that’s what Morris said following the game-winning touchdown in overtime. The greatest quarterback in franchise history was inducted into the team’s ring of honor at halftime, and the Falcons won in improbable fashion, an ode to Ryan on his special night.
"First of all, that was for Matt Ryan. That team wanted that for Matt."
–Raheem Morris pic.twitter.com/pmVbbGwdUu— Justin Felder (@Justin_FOX5) October 4, 2024
After four weeks of inconsistent offensive play (at best), Kirk Cousins broke a Falcons franchise record held by Matt Ryan in front of Matt Ryan. He threw for 509 yards against Tampa Bay, breaking his own personal best of 460 yards.
Atlanta’s defense hadn’t been able to stop Baker Mayfield and the Bucs offense all night, but they came up big when it mattered most. Tampa had a first-and-10 on the Atlanta 28-yard line while up three points with less than two minutes to go. They gained -14 yards and never touched the ball again.
Kirk Cousins led a perfect drive to set up a Younghoe Koo-tying field goal, and in overtime, the Falcons never gave Baker Mayfield and the Bucs an opportunity to win the game.
It was the kind of win that we haven’t seen in a long time. Generally, it’s Atlanta doing what Tampa Bay did, where the Falcons are expected to win and collapse.
It was the kind of comeback victory that Atlanta’s greatest quarterback of all time engineered several times throughout his career. It was the perfect ode to Matt Ryan as he was inducted into the Falcons ring of honor.
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