Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan broke an NFL record, but that wasn’t at the foremost of his thinking after the team blew two double-digit leads and were defeated 33-30 by the San Diego Chargers in overtime on Sunday.
Ryan has now passed for more than 200 yards in his 46 consecutive games, which broke the record he shared with former San Diego Chargers great Dan Fouts.
“It doesn’t mean much when you lose, that’s for sure,” Ryan said. “But, obviously, any time you’re mentioned — especially with somebody as great as Dan Fouts — and you have a streak like that or consistency like that, it’s very nice to be a part of it.”
Ryan had a strong game going. He completed 22 of 34 passes for 273 yards and one touchdown. But with the Falcons trying to run out the clock late in the fourth quarter, Ryan threw an interception to Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman.
He peeled off inside coverage responsibility and jumped the outside pass. Ryan recognized his movement too late.
The Chargers used the turnover to get a field goal and force overtime.
“That’s something that I’ve got to do better,” Ryan said. “I think I could probably let that ball go a little bit earlier with a little bit better anticipation, if not then check the ball down.”
Ryan tossed a late interception against Seattle with the Falcons holding onto a 24-23 lead. The Seahawks converted the turnover into a game-winning field goal.
After losing the opener and then winning four in a row, the Falcons have dropped two in a row.
“It’s a tough loss, obviously,” Ryan said. “We had some opportunities to maybe put that game away earlier. We didn’t make the plays when we needed to.”
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