WATCH: Angry Falcons QB Matt Ryan on Non-Call - He ‘Hit Me Right in the Face'
The Atlanta Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers 29-21 on Sunday. … even with a non-call involving Matt Ryan that had the Falcons QB upset.
The Panthers closed it to one score in the fourth quarter of a game that could have, and probably should have, been put away earlier.
One of the plays that went against the Falcons was a failed two-point conversion that would have put Atlanta up 28-14 with 14:17 left in the fourth quarter.
Falcons quarterback Ryan couldn't find an open receiver. As he finally released the ball, he was clearly hit in the facemask by Panthers defensive lineman Yetur Gross-Matos.
After the play, Ryan was visibly angry with the officials.
"I thought the guy hit me right in the face," said Ryan with a laugh. "I let them know that."
"It's hard. Those guys are in a tough spot to see everything; I understand that. I also think, in the right way, you can lobby for your calls, too. I was trying to be respectful, but trying to let them know I thought that was a penalty."
The Falcons were able to tack on a field goal later in the quarter and were able to run out the clock despite a late scare after a Qadree Ollison fumble.
The win pushed the Falcons to 6-7 and kept their playoff hopes alive. The Falcons will likely need to win three out of four games, if not all four remaining games, to make the playoffs.
Ryan knows that's a daunting task for a team that has yet to win a game in its own stadium this year.
"You make the big things little," said Ryan. "Don't overwhelm yourself with what we have to do for the next four games. You worry about what we have to do in this next football game."
The 7-6 San Francisco 49ers are up next for the Falcons. Atlanta is 6-2 on the road this year, but they are eight-point underdogs in San Francisco next Sunday.
There are only six teams with winning records in the NFC. With seven playoff spots available, moving to 7-7 with a tie-breaker win over the 49ers would be a huge step towards making the playoffs in head coach Arthur Smith's first season.
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