For the first 30 minutes of the Atlanta Falcons NFC Divisional Playoff game against the Seattle Seahawks, things were going about as well as could have been hoped for, for quarterback Matt Ryan and company.
They were up 20-0, and he had thrown two touchdown passes already, albeit did have one interception in the first half. Fortunately that did not cost them.
And even when the Seahawks came out of the gate in the third quarter on the first possession to make it 20-7, Ryan and the Falcons offense marched right back down the field with a touchdown of their own to go back up by 20 at 27-7.
But then things started going wrong. Really, really wrong.
After the Seahawks answered with another touchdown to make the game 27-14, Ryan threw a costly interception on the very next possession, which resulted in another Seattle touchdown.
And that’s when Ryan’s playoff record of 0-3, and his inability to win a postseason game came to the forefront of the conversation by the FOX announcers, and rightfully so. Ryan has been historically great in the regular season, and then laid eggs in the postseason. Atlanta had been a No.1 seed two seasons ago, and lost in their first game. Last year, it was a 24-2 loss on the road to the Giants.
Was it going to happen again?
Up 27-21, another stalled Atlanta drive forced a punt late in the fourth quarter. Seattle rookie quarterback Russell Wilson orchestrated yet another second-half drive, culminating in a Marshawn Lynch touchdown with :31 left on the clock to go up 28-27.
But Atlanta had two timeouts, and Matty Ice was going to get a chance to win it for himself and his teammates.
Knowing what would face him with a loss, Ryan stepped up in the biggest way with the season on the line, and connected immediately on a 25-yard pass to Harry Douglas to push the ball to midfield. One play later it was a 15-yard completion to tight end Tony Gonzalez.
Then with :08 left on the clock, another Matty Ice, place kicker Matt Bryant, stepped up and nailed a 49-yard field goal to put Atlanta up 30-28.
And with that, Ryan got the monkey off of his back with that first postseason win.
Of course, the feeling won’t last long, as the San Francisco 49ers are coming to town on Sunday with a trip to Super Bowl XLVII on the line. But for one day, Ryan showed why he has earned his nickname, and it has to be a good feeling to step up and keep your team alive.