Atlanta Comes Back to Beat San Diego with Seconds on the Clock

NFL News - August 30th, 2009 - Written by Glen

A two minute drive ended in a last second touchdown for Atlanta, giving them a victory over the Chargers with :9 seconds on the clock. Eric Weems caught a nine yard pass from second string quarterback Chris Redman. A field goal by San Diego with 2:07 on the clock started the Falcons' drive, which culminated in their second touchdown for the forth quarter. A pass interference penalty helped the Falcons with their drive.

Both teams scored once in the first quarter, while San Diego took two in the second, leaving the Falcons, who netted their two field goals in the second, trailing by 8 points. Both teams shut each other down in third quarter, leading to the pivotal fourth quarter. San Diego was shut down with not but a field goal, while the Falcons pushed for two touchdowns.

Both starting quarterbacks performed well, giving over 140 yards each. San Diego's Philip Rivers threw 10 for 15, ending with 185 yards and 1 touchdown. Conversely, Matt Ryan completed 14 of 20,  finishing the game with 140 yards and 1 touch down. Chris Redman performed comparably well, with 15 of 19 completions and 134 yards, with one touchdown. Neither team saw an interception that evening, nor had a fumble occured. San Deigo's Billy Volek completed 7 of 9 passes, accumulating 102 yards for his career record.

The Falcons have won two of their three preseason games so far, while San Diego has done just the opposite. All-time preseason games between the Chargers and the Falcons go to the Chagers, with a 4-2 slant in their favor. Both teams performed well, but Atlanta's defensive line proved too much for the Chargers late game, allowing the Falcons' offense to rack up the points needed to win for the day. Atlanta won the game with less possession, less net yards, and a negative amount of total return yardage, excluding kickoffs. It seems that the Chargers genuinely wanted to lose this game.

To discuss this and other NFL related stories be sure to check out our new forum at:
https://www.usaplayers.com/forums/