Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck celebrates with Indianapolis Colts quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) after an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, November 22, 2015, in Atlanta.
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Since then, the Falcons have mustered only 17.6 points per game, including Sunday’s loss to Indianapolis that lowered Atlanta’s record to 6-4.
Frank Gore had 80 yards from scrimmage, including a key 31-yard screen pass on the game-winning drive to get the team into field-goal range.
Now, a season that began with such promise under new coach Dan Quinn is in danger of falling apart.
Now, it’s in danger of falling apart. The Colts won 24-21. Atlanta remains in position for one of the NFC wild cards, but the Falcons have dropped two straight games and three of their last four.
It’s obviously not all on Ryan to lift the team up, but he certainly has to play better than he has been if the Falcons want to capitalize on their 5-0 start and get to the playoffs. You can’t let that play affect the remainder of the game because you have a lot more going on.
That left Atlanta, on the other hand, with nothing but doom and gloom to ponder – and making matters worse is the fact the Falcons just came back from their bye week and shouldn’t look as woefully inept as they did at times. White was targeted nine times, second on the team, for a grand total of 24 yards.
After the Colts cut it to 14-7 at halftime on the first of two Hasselbeck-to-Ahmad Bradshaw touchdown passes, Atlanta restored its two-score cushion on the first possession of the third quarter. His 89 catches through 10 games are tied for the most in National Football League history alongside Indianapolis’ Marvin Harrison (2002). Jackson, the NFL’s leading tackler, also recovered a fumble. The veteran threw an interception on the first play of the game, where there was a few miscommunication with him and Coby Fleener.
“It is just a play I cannot make”, Ryan said.
Luck made the trip to Atlanta and watched from the sideline as Hasselbeck lived on underneath routes and dumped the ball off to his running backs.
“I don’t ever think you get totally used to it”, he said. “But the excitement is always there”.
Playing in his 300th game, Vinatieri booted his 26th game-winning kick in either the final minute of regulation or overtime.
“What do I say to him?”
When the Colts replaced Pep Hamilton, one of Luck’s mentors, with Rob Chudzinski, one of Pagano’s longtime friends, the Colts responded with a quick start and a finishing flurry to beat Denver. Teddy Bridgewater is completing 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,106 yards, eight touchdowns and six interceptions.
Missing their franchise quarterback, their Pro Bowl safety and losing their Pro Bowl cornerback along the way, the Colts needed plenty of help to win in Atlanta and they got it from the most surprising source – the Falcons themselves. “I told Andrew I’m going to rely on him heavily”, Hasselbeck said. The Atlanta Falcons ground game is averaging 112.5 yards per contest, and Devonta Freeman leads the way with 764 yards and nine touchdowns. His five-yard interception return tied it at 21-all with 10:07 remaining.
Freeman will go through the concussion protocol this week, his availability for next Sunday’s game against Minnesota likely to be an ongoing question mark.
Quinn said the team is counting on Ryan to make better decisions.
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It wasn’t enough to prevent another galling defeat. 500 for the first time in nearly a month.
