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| Falcons quarterback Michael Vick accounted for 222 yards of total offense(154 passing, 68 running) and three touchdowns(two passing, one running) in the Falcons' 34-31 overtime win over the Panthers. |
In their 50-plus year history, the Falcons have won only six division titles, three of those coming with Ryan as the Atlanta starting quarterback since 2008.
One of the three division titles before Ryan's arrival come in 2004 with quarterback Michael Vick, who helped give the Falcons a division title in dramatic fashion in a game against the Carolina Panthers on December 18, 2004.
Vick was chosen with #1 pick by the Falcons in 2001 and quickly rose to superstardom as his breathtaking skills as a runner helped the Falcons a playoff berth in his first full season as a starter in 2002, which included a 27-7 win over the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round, the first time the Packers had ever lost a postseason game at home.
Expectations were high for the Falcons going into the 2003 season, but hopes of a possible run to the Super Bowl were shattered when Vick broke his right fibula in the preseason, causing him to miss three months of the season as the Falcons went 5-11 and lead to the dismissal of Dan Reeves as head coach.
Reeves' replacement, Jim L. Mora, son of former Saints and Colts head coach Jim E. Mora, help guide the Falcons to a 10-3 record with the league's top rushing game which featured Vick, running back Warrick Dunn, and fullback T.J. Duckett, earning the Atlanta run game the nickname "DVD".
The Falcons entered their Week 15 game with the Carolina Panthers with a chance to clinch the NFC South, though they would have to do without Duckett, who was out with an injury.
The Panthers entered their game with the Falcons desperate for a victory to keep their slim playoff hopes alive as they stood 6-7, one year after making it to the Super Bowl.
The Panthers' 2004 season had been riddled with injuries as wide receiver Steve Smith broke his left leg in the first game of the season and their top two running backs, Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster, due to a microfracture in his right knee and a broken collarbone, respectively.
Despite all the injuries, the Panthers got on a five-game winning streak after going 1-7 in the first half of the season thanks to the passing combination of quarterback Jake Delhomme and wide receiver Mushin Muhammad.
Delhomme and Muhmmad would need to come up big if the Panthers were to keep their five-game winning streak going as they traveled to the Georgia Dome to take on their division rivals, the Atlanta Falcons.
After both teams went three-and-out on their opening possessions of the game, the Falcons defense forced the first turnover of the game when linebacker Keith Brooking sacked Delhomme, jarring the ball loose which was recovered by defensive tackle Chad Lavalais, giving Atlanta the ball at the Panthers' 40-yard-line.
From there, the Falcons went 40 yards in nine plays, with seven of those plays on the ground as Dunn carried the ball four times for 24 yards while Vick picked up 15 on two runs, but lost two yards on a quarterback sack.
However, the drive ended with a pass as Vick hit wide receiver Brian Finneran for a three-yard touchdown pass to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead midway through the opening quarter.
The Falcons would force the Panthers to punt the ball again on their ensuing possession, taking over at their 35-yard-line and driving to the Carolina' 13-yard-line behind three carries by Dunn for 21 yards and a 13-yard run by Vick.
But on 1st-and-10 from the 13-yard-line, Vick was sacked by Panthers linebacker Mark Fields for a 11-yard loss, which was followed by a holding penalty on right guard Kynan Forney, forcing the Falcons to settle for a 37-yard field goal by Jay Feely on the third play of the second quarter which increased Atlanta's lead to 10-0.
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| Warrick Dunn carried the ball 28 times for 134 yards and scored a touchdown. |
Following the Feely field goal, the Carolina offense put together its best drive of the game thus far as they drove 80 yards in 11 plays as Delhomme completed six of seven passes for 75 yards on the drive, with three of those completions going to Muhammad for 38 yards, including a six-yard touchdown that brought the Panthers back to within three points, 10-7 midway through the second quarter.
The Falcons got great field position to start their next possession as Allen Rossum returned the ensuing kickoff 49 yards to the Carolina 41-yard-line.
But the Atlanta offense only traveled 14 yards and were forced to attempt to a 45-yard field goal, which Feely missed, keeping the score 10-7 with 4:25 left in the first half.
The Panthers took over at their 35-yard-line and were able to drive 56 yards in 10 plays as Delhomme connected with Muhammad four times on the drive for 46 yards to give Carolina a 1st-and-goal at the Falcons' nine-yard-line with 46 seconds left before halftime.
That is when the Atlanta defense rose up and kept the Panthers out of the end zone, forcing Carolina to settle for 21-yard field goal by John Kasay that tied the game 10-10 with 21 seconds left before halfime.
The Falcons attempted to get more points before the halftime break but were unsuccessful keeping the game tied at 10 after the first 30 minutes.
Atlanta got the ball to start the 2nd half from their 29-yard-line and drove 36 yards in 10 plays as Dunn picked up 17 yards in five carries while Vick completed three passes for 17 yards, leading to a 3rd-and-12 at the Panthers' 35-yard-line when Vick connected with Michael Jenkins for a 22-yard completion and a 1st down.
But Jenkins was called for taunting, pushing the Falcons back 15 yards to the 28-yard-line.
No problem as Dunn got the call on the next three plays and ran for the last 28 yards of the drive including the six-yard touchdown that put Atlanta back on top 17-10 with 6:48 left in the third quarter.
The Falcons kept the momentum going as they forced another three-and-out by the Panthers, which was followed by a 34-yard punt return by Rossum that gave the Falcons the ball at the Carolina' 49-yard-line.
After Vick ran for 25 yards on the first play of the drive, he then hit Finneran for eight yards on a 3rd-and-8 to give Atlanta a 1st down at the Panthers' 13-yard-line, which was followed by a 12-yard touchdown pass to Dez White to give the Falcons their largest lead of the game at 24-10 with 2:47 left in the third quarter.
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| Mushin Muhammad(left) caught 10 passes from quarterback Jake Delhomme(right) for 135 yards and a touchdown. |
It seemed that the Falcons had grabbed control of the game especially on the Panthers' next offensive possession when defensive end Brady Smith sacked Delhomme, forcing a fumble that was recovered by fellow defensive end Patrick Kerney at the Carolina' 44-yard-line.
But on 2nd-and-8 at the Panthers' 42-yard-line, Vick was intercepted on a deep pass for Peerless Price by Carolina cornerback Chris Gamble at the Panthers' three-yard-line with 1:15 left in the third quarter.
Gamble's interception began the Panthers' comeback efforts as they drove 97 yards in nine plays as Delhomme five of seven passes for 90 yards on the drive, capping the drive off with a 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kris Mangum to cut the deficit in half to 24-17 with 12:21 left in the fourth quarter.
The Falcons got the ball back at their 23-yard-line and went three-and-out, only to get a reprieve when Carolina punt returner Jamall Broussard muffed the punt, which was recovered by the Falcons' Kevin McCadam at the Panthers' 27-yard-line.
However on 2nd-and-11, Vick was sacked by Panthers defensive tackle Brentson Buckner, knocking the ball loose which was grabbed in mid-air by defensive end Juilus Peppers who ran for a 60-yard touchdown to give Carolina its second touchdown in two minutes and tie the game at 24 with 10:09 left in regulation.
With their two-touchdown lead evaporated, the Falcons seemed to poise to break the tie as Atlanta got another kick return, this time courtesy of DeAngelo Hall, who after receiving a lateral from Rossum, ran 49 yards to the Panthers' 36-yard-line.
But after three runs by Dunn picked up 12 yards, Vick was called for intentional grounding pushing the Falcons back to the Carolina' 40-yard-line where they faced 2nd-and-26.
Hoping to salvage a field goal, Vick hit tight end Alge Crumpler for 17 yards on 3rd-and-26, only to have Crumpler fumble the football which was recovered by Panthers linebacker Dan Morgan at the Carolina 22-yard-line.
After a 17-yard pass to Muhammad and a six-yard run by Nick Goings, Delhomme connected with Keary Colbert for a 43-yard gain that put the Panthers at the Atlanta 12-yard-line.
Then after a 10-yard pass to fullback Brad Hoover gave the Panthers a 1st-and-goal at the one-yard-line, disaster nearly struck as Delhomme fumbled the snap on 1st-and-goal, only to recover his own fumble at the five-yard-line, allowing for Carolina to keep the football and score on the very next play as Goings punched it in for the five-yard touchdown to give the Panthers its first lead of the game, 31-24 with 3:37 left in regulation.
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| Nick Goings was the Panthers' leading rusher as he ran for 61 yards on 24 carries and scored one touchdown. |
Now trailing for the first time in the game, the Falcons took over at their 29-yard-line with 3:29 to go but just one timeout in their pocket.
After an incomplete pass on 1st down, Vick ran for 12 yards and a 1st down, which was followed by another incomplete pass setting up 2nd-and-10 from the Atlanta 41-yard-line.
That is when Vick threw a pass to White, who made the catch at the Panthers' 40-yard-line, then cut back to the middle and ran down to the Carolina five-yard-line for a 54-yard gain to give the Falcons a 1st-and-goal with 2:27 left in regulation.
Vick threw an incomplete pass on 1st down when disaster almost struck for the Falcons on 2nd down as Vick was hit by Panthers defensive end Al Jenkins, knocking the ball out of Vick's hand and forward, only to have Jenkins recover the loose ball for Atlanta at the two-yard-line as the two-minute warning hit.
Then a holding penalty pushed the Falcons back to the 12-yard-line which was followed by another incomplete pass, setting up a do-or-die 4th-and-goal.
That is when Vick took off and busted through the middle then stretched out for a 12-yard touchdown that with Feely's extra point tied the game at 31 with 1:37 left in regulation.
Taking over at their 20-yard-line and only one timeout left, the Panthers tried to put together a drive to get into field goal range, but a six-yard-loss by Goings and a false start penalty, led Carolina to run out the clock and send the game into overtime.
The Panthers won the coin toss and of course, elected to receive, starting at their 19-yard-line.
But on 3rd-and-9 from the 20-yard-line, Delhomme was intercepted by Falcons cornerback Aaron Beasley, who returned it 30 yards to the Panthers' 23-yard-line.
After two runs by Dunn gained three yards, the Falcons called on Feely to kick the game-winning field goal.
Feely's 37-yard field goal sailed through the uprights to give the Falcons a 34-31 win and their third division title in team history.
The Panthers would finish the season 7-9, just one game out of the playoffs, but would come back the following year with Steve Smith, Stephen Davis, and Deshaun Foster to go 11-5 and make it all the way to the NFC Championship Game, before losing to the Seattle Seahawks.
As for the Falcons, they would defeat the St. Louis Rams 47-17 in the Divisional Playoffs to earn a trip to the NFC Championship Game where they were defeated by the Philadelphia Eagles 27-10.
The Falcons would not return to the playoffs with Vick as quarterback and Mora as head coach as the team went 15-17 the next two seasons, leading to the firing of Mora and then parting ways with Vick after he was sent to prison for his part in running a dog fighting ring.
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