Five Plays That Led to the Atlanta Falcons' Improbable 2008 Season

(Photo by Tom Dahlin/Getty Images)

It takes a collective, season-long effort to go from 3-13 to 11-5 in just one year, but without these five specific plays, the 2008 Atlanta Falcons would not have been able to do the impossible.

1) Week One vs. Detroit Lions: Matt Ryan 62-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins

Highly-touted rookies rarely live up to the hype; at least not in their first seasons in the NFL. Almost never do they live up to it on their very first pass as a professional. Matt Ryan, however, did just that.

In their season opener inside the Georgia Dome on September 7, 2008, the new-look Atlanta Falcons hosted the Detroit Lions. Searching for some immediate hope following a 3-13 2007 campaign that was nothing short of disastrous, Falcon fans turned to Ryan, their prized rookie.

If they simply could not wait to see Ryan get his hands on the pigskin, they were not disappointed when Atlanta won the coin toss and wanted the football. After two rushes by their other heralded newcomer, running back Michael Turner, the Falcons had a first down on their own 38-yard line.

Atlanta came out in a pro set (far), while the Lions lined up in their 3-4 defense. The stage was set.

Ryan, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, dropped back to pass for the first time as an Atlanta Falcon as receiver Michael Jenkins burned the Detroit corner who had tried in vain to jam him at the line of scrimmage. Ryan’s bullet of a pass did not give Detroit’s strong safety enough time to help on Jenkins.

Jenkins hauled in the pass and saw a whole lot of nothing in between him and the endzone. Welcome to the NFL, Matt Ryan! That’s an easy 62-yard scoring strike for ya!

Less than two minutes into the first game of the season, Atlanta led the Detroit 7-0 and Ryan was on his way to instant stardom.

Little did we know at the time, but the amazing play was a sign of things to come for both teams.

The Falcons, who led Detroit 21-0 by the end of the first quarter, cruised to a 34-21 victory and went on to qualify for the playoffs with an 11-5 record. The Lions, of course, never won a single game the entire year, becoming the first team in NFL history to go 0-16.

2) Week 6 vs. Chicago Bears: Ryan 26-yard pass to Jenkins

Although the season was just five weeks old, both the Falcons and Chicago Bears must have already been thinking about the playoffs with their identical 3-2 records. And there was a playoff atmosphere inside then Georgia Dome when the Bears paid a visit to Atlanta on October 12.

Down 19-13 late in the fourth quarter, Bears’ quarterback Kyle Orton found Rashied Davis for a 17-yard touchdown pass with a mere 11 seconds remaining. The extra point gave Chicago a 21-20 lead and—seemingly—the crucial victory.

An ill-advised squib kick, however, resulted in Atlanta seizing solid field position at its own 44-yard line. But the Falcons had just six seconds with which to work.

Apparently for the Falcons, six seconds is enough.

Atlanta came out in a shotgun 23, while the Bears—predictably—were in a prevent defense with four linemen rushing the quarterback and seven defensive backs.

With no timeouts left, the Falcons either had to score a touchdown or get out of bounds in less than six seconds in order to set up a field goal. Inexplicably, Chicago took away the deep ball, but not the sideline.

Jenkins found an opening 26 yards down the left side of the field, snatched a flawless Matt Ryan pass out of the air, and fell out of bounds at the Chicago 30-yard line. One second remained.

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