Matt Ryan went out early. Michael Turner went out midway through. The Atlanta Falcons also lost offensive linemen Harvey Dahl and Sam Baker, all to injuries.
That they won -- ugly, but this ain't no beauty pageant -- is a testament to the persistence that coach Mike Smith has instilled in this team. Staring at their fifth loss in six games and preparing for a walk to the edge of the NFL playoff plank, the Falcons scored an 11th-hour-plus touchdown to shake off Tampa Bay 20-17.
Ryan was spelled by Chris Redman, last seen extensively when filling in for the suspended Mike Vick -- who'll be back in the Georgia Dome next Sunday with the Eagles. It took Redman a half-dozen shots from about 10 yards out to connect for the winning TD, but he did it.
Question is, will he need to do it again against Philly? The Falcons, per usual, were vague about the severity of Ryan's sore toe.
A defeat against the one-win visitors would not have been fatal, but it'd have given the Falcons little room for error the rest of the season. For now, they trail two 7-4 teams occupying the wild-card slots. One is the Eagles, whom they can leapfrog next Sunday. (The other: Green Bay.)
Atlanta could survive the absence of Turner, who aggravated an ankle injury. Ryan? Not so much. Team doctors: get to work.
Comments