Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan scrambled for a 14-yard touchdown to extend his team’s lead over the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship Game.
Coming into this week’s NFC Championship Game between the Atlanta Falcons and Green Bay Packers, all the discussion revolved around what Matt Ryan and Aaron Rodgers will do to for their teams. When the game finally began on Sunday, Rodgers got little to no help from his teammates while Ryan took it upon himself to extend his team’s lead.
After the Packers fumbled at a critical time against Atlanta in the red zone on Sunday, the Falcons got a fresh drive to extend their lead further. Through a series of passes to Julio Jones, the Falcons quickly marched down the field. Finally, Ryan finished the drive off with a 14-yard rush right into the end zone.
MATT. RYAN. WILL. TAKE. IT. HIMSELF.
— NFL (@NFL) January 22, 2017
Wowowowow. #GBvsATL #NFLPlayoffs https://t.co/Dgl5NTBpEh
Ryan got great blocking and room from his offensive line on the rush and he showed that he has to be accounted for when he gets the football in his hands. With the weapons the Falcons have on offense, it opens up the offense for plays like this for Ryan.
The touchdown pushed the Falcons’ lead to 17-0 and it felt like there was no stopping them at all. As for the Packers, they had their opportunities early in scoring range, but a missed field goal and a critical fumble from Aaron Ripkowski gave Atlanta all the ammo they needed.
When the Falcons wanted to put a statement score on the board, their captain came through for them. As one of the favorites in the MVP discussion, it’s plays like this that serve as a reminder why Ryan is one of the favorites.