The Atlanta Falcons maintained their face to face superiority in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders final week, and now they welcome a second straight opponent whom they’ve a profitable document in opposition to within the New York Giants.
In 26 all time matchups, the Falcons simply come out on prime with a slender 14-12 document, which is helped by current occasions.
New York is without doubt one of the very uncommon groups Atlanta truly dominated within the ‘60s and ‘70s, after they themselves had been putrid. The Falcons received 5 of the primary six all time matchups by 1978, and all however a type of victories got here by one rating.
The Giants returned the favor within the ‘80s by profitable 5 of the following six by 1988, earlier than a really unusual phenomenon occurred the place these groups met only one singular time all through your entire Nineties, and it simply occurred to come back when the Falcons had their greatest ever season in 1998 (Atlanta received that one).
This collection has been a recreation of runs, as three straight Falcon wins, in 2002, 2003 and 2004 had been met with 4 straight Giants wins between 2006-2012, together with a 24-2 victory in the one playoff matchup between these two groups.
The pendulum swung again in Atlanta’s course following that playoff defeat within the 2011 Wildcard card (which the Giants finally parlayed right into a Tremendous Bowl title), because the Birds have received 4 of the final 5 matchups between 2012 and the conclusion of the Matt Ryan period in 2021.
Final Assembly
It wasn’t a great begin to new head coach Arthur Smith’s tenure because the chief of the Falcons, as he misplaced his first two video games in cost within the 2021 season however had a chance at a bounce again in opposition to the struggling Giants, who had been additionally 0-2.
It wasn’t the perfect begin to this one both, as Atlanta’s offense struggled to get out from impartial, punting the ball on every of their first 5 possessions. Fortunately, New York’s offense led by Daniel Jones didn’t discover the tip zone, though they did kick two discipline objectives in that span.
The Falcons lastly bought on the board late within the first half when Matt Ryan discovered Olamide Zaccheaus for a landing from 4 yards out, serving to them go into halftime with a slender 7-6 lead.
The punt fest continued into the second half as each single third quarter possession ended with a punt for each groups earlier than New York broke by with a brief Saquon Barkley landing within the fourth quarter. Atlanta answered with a monstrous 16-play drive which burned over 8 minutes off the clock and was capped off with a Ryan landing to Lee Smith from one yard out to tie the sport at 14.
After the Falcons protection stopped New York in its tracks after they bought to midfield, because of a Dante Fowler strip sack, Ryan was given an opportunity for a recreation profitable drive which he took benefit of. A 25-yard go to Kyle Pitts was the deadly blow which put Atlanta into discipline purpose vary for a final second Younghoe Koo kick, one which gave Arthur Smith his first ever win as a head coach within the NFL.
