“About the time that Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was working his late-game magic at the Georgia Dome on Sunday, some NFL drama was unfolding in Tampa.
Washington rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III, in the last 1 minute, 42 seconds, drove his Redskins into field-goal position at Raymond James Stadium for a game-winning field goal, too.
For Ryan, it was the 17th time that he has led the Falcons to victory in the fourth quarter or overtime. For Griffin, the former Heisman Trophy winner from Baylor, it was his first dramatic win.
Ryan and Griffin, who rank first and second in the NFC in passer rating, will face off when the undefeated Falcons (4-0) face the Redskins (2-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday at FedEx Field in Landover, Md.
With the Falcons backed up at their 1-yard line, with no timeouts and 59 seconds left on the clock, Ryan remained calm — as he’s done in the past.
He tried to encourage his teammates in the huddle and set into motion a well-thought out plan that required great blocking and an acrobatic catch by wide receiver Roddy White on a 59-yard gain to keep the Falcons in business.
“You have to have the belief that regardless of how games shake out, if you keep it close, you have a chance to win,” Ryan said. “You can’t flinch.”
Ryan’s five-play, 77-yard drive set up Matt Bryant for a 40-yard field goal that carried the Falcons to a 30-28 victory.
Ryan is performing at a high level this season, as he has completed 102 of 147 pass attempts (69.4 percent) for 1,162 yards with 11 touchdowns and two interceptions for an NFL-best 112.1 passer rating.
“Matt is coming into his own,” said Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall, a former Falcon. “He looks like the guy [the Falcons] thought he would be all along. He’s playing at an MVP-caliber level right now.”"
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
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