It wasn’t pretty, it was beautiful. The Atlanta Falcons put together another solid defensive effort down the stretch, this time to beat the Los Angeles Rams on their home turf for a 26-13 victory.
The crucial playoff victory, catapults the Falcons deeper into the playoffs and puts the rest of the NFC on notice: The Dirty Birds are back.
Quarterback Matt Ryan turned in a workman-like day while defensive stars such as Deion Jones and Desmond Trufant shut down the Rams’ high-flying running and passing attack. While the ground was giving way underneath neither team could get much going early in the game.
But the Falcons’ first big break came midway through the first quarter when the Rams muffed a punt and the Falcons recoverd. The mistake would lead to a 3-0 lead, the first of four field goals by veteran Falcon Matt Bryant.
Matty Ice’s 218 yards was not much by his standards, but he did a great job of getting the ball to Julio Jones (nine catches for 94 yards).
We’re not here just to get here,” quarterback Matt Ryan told reporters after the game. “We want to make noise while we’re here.”
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With less than 11 minutes to play and the Falcons holding on to a precarious 19-13 lead, a short screen pass to Mohammed Sanu rumbled for 51 yards, setting up the Falcons’ last field goal and making the score unsurmountable for the Rams.
it’s official that the rest of the NFL does not want to see these Falcons in January, especially this defense, which is suffocating when it needs to be and impenatrable when it has to be.
“Our defense has played really well this season, particularly in the last six to eight weeks. For our defense to do that against the Rams was special,” Ryan was quoted as saying.
Now, the Philadelphia Eagles are next on the docket.