ATLANTA (AP) Matt Ryan has angry in affluence of absorbing performances for the Atlanta Falcons.
This was apparently his best one yet.
Throwing for a franchise-record 448 yards and assuming some rarely acclimated advancement to accumulate plays going, Ryan led the Falcons to a 37-34 overtime achievement over the New Orleans Saints in addition abstruseness amid the NFC South rivals Sunday.
Matt Bryant kicked a attached 51-yard acreage ambition on the final comedy of adjustment and won the division opener with a 52-yarder afterwards the Saints fumbled the brawl abroad on the additional comedy of overtime.
But this was mostly about Ryan, who completed 31 of 43 with three touchdowns and eclipsed the aggregation casual almanac of 431 yards set by Chris Chandler in 2001. Ryan additionally ran three times for 15 yards and dodged the Saints' burden best of the day, activity bottomward alone one time afterwards demography a career-high 44 sacks aftermost season.
''He's played a lot of games, fabricated a lot of plays for us,'' drillmaster Mike Smith said. ''But I was absolutely afflicted with his adeptness to extend some plays by affective about in the pocket. And he was very, actual accurate. Aback you accept (568 yards) of absolute breach and 448 through the air, your quarterback is arena well.''
For acceptable measure, Ryan eclipsed the aggregation almanac for career TD passes. He is now at 156, breaking the mark of 154 captivated by Steve Bartkowski.
The Falcons exhausted New Orleans for aloof the fourth time in their aftermost 17 meetings. This one was decidedly candied for Atlanta advancing off a afflicted 4-12 season, its aboriginal accident attack aback 2007.
''It's a acceptable start,'' Ryan said. ''But it's a continued season.''
The teams accumulated for 17 credibility in the final 2:50 of the fourth. The Saints got the brawl aboriginal in overtime, but Marques Colston was bare from abaft by William Moore afterwards communicable a first-down canyon over the middle.
Joplu Bartu recovered the bollix at the Saints 38. Moore channelled his anatomy from his knees in the average of the field, while Colston airtight his helmet in abhorrence aback he got aback to the sideline, abrasion abroad a assistant who approved to animate him.
''You've alone got two eyes. You can't see abaft you,'' Moore said of his comedy on Colston. ''I'm activity to abide to assignment on that and hopefully I can get some added throughout the season.''
The bold fit appropriate in with a bounded alternation in which nine of the antecedent 12 affairs were absitively by eight credibility or less.
''That's a boxy bold to lose,'' Saint drillmaster Sean Payton said. ''Every already in a while, you get in one of these amateur area the account goes aback and forth. The aboriginal of details, abnormally in overtime, magnifies any little mistake.''
The Falcons (1-0), who alert trailed from 13 credibility in the aboriginal half, went advanced on Jacquizz Rodgers' admirable 17-yard run with 2:50 remaining. The diminutive aback cut this way and that for a 31-27 lead. Aback came Drew Brees and the Saints (0-1), defective alone 90 abnormal to go 71 yards. Mark Ingram powered over from the 3 for his additional touchdown to accomplish it 34-31 with 1:20 left.
That was abundant time for Ryan. He completed three passes on the attached drive, the big one a 21-yarder to Devin Hester that set up Bryant's attached kick.
Hester, who has starred as a acknowledgment specialist, showed he's still got some abilities as a receiver. Afterwards not communicable alike one canyon for Chicago aftermost season, the 31-year-old had bristles receptions for 99 yards.
Brees threw for 333 yards, but was best off in the end area afterwards the Saints collection to the Atlanta 14 in the third quarter. Colston had bristles receptions for 110 yards.
The Saints denticulate on all four first-half possessions, alive first-round aces Brandin Cooks appropriate into their already activating offense. He hauled in a 3-yard canyon that pushed New Orleans to a 20-7 lead.
Atlanta cut it to 20-10 activity into the break, acknowledgment to a ablaze leaping bolt by Roddy White for a 39-yard accretion on the next-to-last comedy of the half. Bryant booted a 40-yard acreage ambition that gave the Falcons a bit of momentum.
By the end, they were celebrating.
NOTES: In his aboriginal bold replacing retired appropriate end Tony Gonzalez, Atlanta's Levine Toilolo had three catches, including a 1-yard touchdown. ... The Falcons absent amateur LT Jake Matthews with a larboard abate abrasion on the next-to-last comedy of the aboriginal half. He watched the additional bisected from the amusement and it's not accepted how continued he ability be out. ... Cooks accomplished with seven receptions for 77 yards.
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