For the second consecutive season, one of the NFL’s best rivalries was on the opening week slate in 2014. The Falcons and Saints were squaring off again to start the year after New Orleans narrowly beat them the previous season. The game would be in Atlanta this time around, which felt needed after how disastrous the 2013 season was for the Falcons.
It was the first losing season for Matt Ryan and Mike Smith. A combination of a flawed roster, aging veterans, and devastating injuries turned an established
contender into one of the worst teams in the league. They needed to start the year off strong to prove they can still compete in the NFC. What better way to do that than against your biggest rivals, coming off an eleven-win season and having won a playoff game?
Animosity is always high when these teams square off. Games are normally close, no matter which team is better on paper. Ryan had to be at his best going against a Saints team built to be one of the NFL’s top contenders going into 2014.
With the Falcons’ defense looking like one of the worst units in the league going into the season (and they sure were that), this matchup had all the makings of Ryan needing to keep pace with Drew Brees. He was ready to do that by delivering one of the best performances of his career.
Major distribution
Getting Julio Jones and Roddy White back healthy on the field together was one of the biggest positives to start the season. While Ryan had to adjust to no longer having Tony Gonzalez, he sorely missed having his star wide receivers together in 2013.
Combining them with Harry Douglas, who was coming off a 1,000-yard season where he was the team’s top option, would give the Falcons a prolific aerial attack. Devin Hester unexpectedly made an instant impact as a wide receiver that also elevated the offense.
Hester caught five passes for 99 yards in his debut as a Falcon. For Ryan to show immediate trust in him was hugely encouraging. In a game where they were behind for most of it, the pressure was on the franchise quarterback to produce a scoring drive every time he was on the field.
He needed all four of his playmaking wide receivers to do it. The production between them couldn’t have been more equally distributed.
Jones, White, Douglas, and Hester all received at least six targets, caught five passes, and gained at least 69 yards. Jones led in all categories, as he was beginning to establish himself as an elite wide receiver. White caught the lone touchdown between them on a back-shoulder throw, which Ryan placed perfectly to get the Falcons on the board after falling behind 13-0.
After how miserable the 2013 season was, it was euphoric for fans to see the passing game fire on all cylinders with four playmakers making a difference on nearly every drive.
There were other valuable contributions, too. Antone Smith started his epic streak of 50-yard touchdowns by turning a checkdown into a 54-yard score. Levine Toilolo caught Ryan’s other touchdown pass. In his NFL debut, Devonta Freeman made Keenan Lewis miss in the flat to convert a third down in the red zone to help set up the Falcons’ first touchdown of the game.
It took an entire collective offensive effort to prevail against the Saints’ firepower. That couldn’t have been done without outstanding quarterback play.
New valuable skills, more memorable thrills
Ryan’s elusiveness, pocket presence, and ability to make precise throws on the move stood out in his exceptional performance. He became a better athlete in 2014 by making more plays out of structure when necessary. In the early part of his career, Ryan would be hesitant to leave the pocket and take frustrating sacks at times. That happened far less, entering the prime of his career.
Despite having to cope with collapsed pockets on several occasions against the Saints, Ryan consistently made sharp decisions and accurate passes. He was sacked only once on 44 dropbacks.
One of Ryan’s signature plays came with 14 seconds left in the first half. He spun to his left after feeling pressure to give himself space to look downfield to get into field goal range. That allowed him to loft a beautiful ball to White for a 39-yard completion.
It gave the great Matt Bryant what he needed to kick a 40-yard field goal with four seconds left. Considering the Falcons won 37-34 in overtime, they wouldn’t have come out on top without that clutch throw and spectacular catch, along with Bryant always being reliable.
The composure to stand tall in the pocket and work through his progressions to find an open receiver was pivotal in the drive that sent the game into overtime. Ryan connected with Douglas on a 13-yard pass, where he shifted around the pocket to make the throw.
As the pocket collapsed three plays later, Ryan hit Hester down the seam for a 21-yard completion to get into field goal range. His late-game poise in operating with only one timeout at his disposal was fantastic. That allowed Bryant to continue delivering when called upon by kicking a 51-yard field goal to send the game into overtime.
Ryan finished with 31 completions on 43 pass attempts for 448 yards and three touchdowns. He never put the ball in danger. He handled pressure incredibly well behind an offensive line featuring Joe Hawley, Gabe Carimi, and a rookie Jake Matthews.
While 2014 proved to be another disappointing season for the Falcons, forcing them to fire Smith, Ryan made strides in becoming a more complete quarterback. It was also one of the few years when he got the better of Brees twice. They would go on to have several more epic battles over the course of the 2010s.
