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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Falcons come back last


Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick (7) is forced out of bounds by Carolina Panthers' Mark Fields (58) and Dan Morgan during the third quarter.
 (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Charlotte Observer

ATLANTA — If you missed Saturday night’s game on television, you still know what happened. You just never would have imagined how it happened.

It was, quite simply, an Atlanta-Carolina game with the typical result, but far more suspense than usual.

Atlanta’s 34-31 overtime victory at the Georgia Dome might sound like a scene straight out of “Groundhog Day,” but this was far from the same old thing over and over.

Jay Feely kicked a 38-yard field goal with 12 minutes, 35 seconds left in overtime to give Atlanta the victory. The field goal was set up after Atlanta cornerback Aaron Beasley intercepted Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme with 13:54 left and returned the ball to the Panthers’ 23.

Trailing 31-24, Atlanta (11-3) forced the overtime when Michael Vick’s dive for the goal line with 1:37 left in regulation was successful and tied the game at 31-31. The play was upheld after being reviewed by replay officials.

Carolina rallied from a 24-10 deficit at the end of the third quarter with a couple of big defensive plays that forced turnovers and took a seven-point lead when Nick Goings scored on a 5-yard run in the fourth quarter.

But Vick led the Falcons down the field to tie the game. He improved to 5-0 as a starter against the Panthers, and Carolina lost for the ninth time in 10 Georgia Dome appearances. Although Saturday’s result might sound familiar, this loss was particularly painful for the Panthers (6-8) as the joy and hope of a five-game winning streak came to a crushing end.

They entered the game with the edge on the final NFC wild-card spot. But they left with the sudden realization that, for any chance at the postseason, they’ll have to win their final two games (at Tampa Bay on Dec. 26 and home with New Orleans on Jan. 2) and get some help from the pile of mediocrity that makes up the middle of the NFC standings.

During the surge of the past five weeks, the Panthers had been telling anyone that would listen they were, once again, playing “Fox Ball,” a reflection of coach John Fox’s plan to win with the ground game and aggressive defense. Instead they got another close-up view of Vick Ball.

Vick got plenty of help from running back Warrick Dunn, return man Allen Rossum and an opportunistic defense as the Falcons, who already clinched the NFC South title, improved to 11-3 and stayed in the hunt for home-field advantage in the playoffs.

Although the game was tied at halftime, the Falcons seemed to break it open in the third quarter. Dunn scored on a 4-yard run with 6:48 remaining to put the Falcons ahead 17-10 and capped a 14-play, 78-yard drive that lasted eight minutes and 12 seconds.