Miracle Finish as Falcons Top Bears 22-20 on Last Play Field Goal

Many have felt that the Falcons would never be able to beat the Bears unless they could have a big day running the football. Think again. Led by rookie Matt Ryan, the Falcons pulled off what was one of the most memorable wins in the Georgia Dome in recent history, as Jason Elam’s last-play field goal led the team to a 22-20 win.

The miracle win came as the Bears took a 20-19 lead with just :11 seconds left when Kyle Orton hit Rashied Davis to the left for a 17-yard score that game them their first lead of the day with the extra point. Then the Bears made the biggest blunder they could make. They tried to squib the kick, but Harry Douglas picked it up and managed a 10-yard return to the Atlanta 44.

Ryan, calm and as cool as ever, then threw a perfect 26-yard pass to Mike Jenkins in front of Mike Brown to the Bears 30. Elam then trotted onto the field and nailed a 48-yard field goal for the win, sending the team into a frenzy. The win moves the team to 4-2, and drops the Bears to 3-3. It means that the Falcons are now tied with Tampa Bay and Carolina atop the NFC South.

Ryan was awesome, going 22-for-30 for 301 yards with one TD and a QB rating of 116.1. He also never was sacked. It was his first 300+ yard game throwing in his career. Michael Turner, the teams bruising back, was held in check by the Bears for just 54 yards on 25 carries.

Atlanta built a 12-3 lead after Elam kicked four field goals into the third quarter. Matt Forte made it 12-10 with a 3-yard TD for the Bears at the 2:24 mark of the third. Ryan threw his only TD to Roddy White from three yards out at the 13:25 mark of the 4th to make it 19-10, and it seemed that things were in hand.

The Bears rallied, first with a Robbie Gould field goal, then after Elam missed a field goal they marched down the field and Orton hit Davis for what looked to be the game-winner before the Falcons heroic comeback with Ryan getting the big pass play to Jenkins.

The Falcons enter the bye next week, then are back in action on the 26th as they will take on the Eagles in Philly.