Thanks to some wayward kicking, Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota made the most of his second overtime possession.
He promptly drove the Falcons into position for Younghoe Koo to make a 41-yard field goal and pull out a 37-34 victory over the Panthers in overtime Sunday.
Carolina kicker Eddy Pineiro missed an extra point in regulation and a 32-yard field goal in overtime that would have won the game.
“(It) really just comes down to executing, right, getting another chance to go and win the game,” Mariota said. “Great job by our coaches, by the entire offense for finding ways to make plays to give Koo a chance at the end of the game.”
Mariota completed 20 of 28 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns. He had two interceptions, one on the second play of the game and the other in overtime. He finished with a passer rating of 105.2.
“Well, first and foremost, it’s tough to win in this league,” Mariota said. “It really is. No matter what, however it comes about, just enjoy it.”
The Falcons know they must correct the mistakes that were made.
“With that being said, it’s always easier to go in on Monday to look back at corrections when you won the game than it is when you lost,” Mariota said. “So again, proud of our guys staying in it and believing. Sometimes when you get into situations like that, guys kind of put their head down.”
Mariota didn’t see any of his teammates sulking on the sideline.
“Nobody did that on the sideline,” Mariota said. “For me, it’s really cool to be a part of that, and it says a lot about our guys.”
The Falcons came out misfiring on offense. Tight end Kyle Pitts dropped the first pass of the game, and Mariota tossed his first interception.
“I’ve got to be better,” Mariota said. “I’ve got to be better. I think the slow start, really, I wasn’t executing. Could have got – you know, the ball thrown away, take a bad sack, obviously the pick early on. I have to be better. Got to be cleaner.”
In between the interceptions, Mariota was dealing. He completed 12 consecutive passes at one point as he moved the ball around to eight different receivers.
With the game on the line in overtime, Mariota broke loose for a 30-yard gain to help get Koo in range for the game-winning kick.
“The guy has a been through a lot,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said of Mariota. “You win the Heisman. You’re the No. 2 pick. Goes through a million staff changes in Tennessee. Going into a contract year and gets benched.”
Smith was the offensive coordinator when Mariota was benched. After the Falcons traded Matt Ryan to the Colts, they signed Mariota.
“Can’t say enough about how he handled that situation,” Smith said. “He goes out to Vegas, sits and watches. Didn’t think he’d get another opportunity. It’s a unique situation here. He’s got such a calm demeanor, and he understands that you’re never out of it.”
Like Mariota, the Falcons remained calm as the Panthers wouldn’t go away.
But they couldn’t contain Mariota.
“You have to pick a certain way to rush him,” Smith said. “Because you can’t just go up the middle. If you turn your back to him too much, he can hurt you.”
Mariota was trying to get the ball deep to Damiere Byrd on both of his interceptions. They connected on a 47-yard touchdown that reclaimed the lead.
“I was on the backside of the play,” Byrd said. “Marcus, as he does always, did a great job of extending plays and finding guys that are open. Once I kind of caught the ball, I knew that everybody was over the top.”
The victory gave the Falcons first place in the NFC South.
“(We’ve) got a long way to go,” Mariota said. “At the end of the day, our team goals are to win the division. It is taking it one step at a time.”
Mariota believes the Falcons, who have not been to the playoffs since the 2017 season, will handle their newfound status well.
“I think that’s what’s really cool about this team,” Mariota said. “We’re not thinking too far ahead or looking back in the past. We’re just finding ways to kind of stay in the moment. If we continue to do that, I think we’ll like where we are at.”
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