In a game that came down to the wire, the Atlanta Falcons sealed the deal, claiming a huge postseason victory over the visiting Seattle Seahawks.
Seahawks vs. Falcons, 2013 NFC Divisional Playoffs: Tony Gonzalez, Matt Ryan bag first postseason wins
The Atlanta Falcons sealed a huge postseason win on Sunday, taking out the Seattle Seahawks at the Georgia Dome. We discuss some main storylines from the match-up.
Streeter Lecka
Dave Choate of Falcoholics had a post-game write-up following the Atlanta win, making note of a major career milestone for one of the greatest ever:
For Gonzalez, it came down to one simple nettle, something beyond his control. It came down to never winning a playoff game. Playing 16 years, being the greatest ever at your position and not having a win in the post-season has to gnaw at you. It’s human to pick to focus on what you don’t have, and while I don’t claim to have a window into Gonzo’s mind, you know it bothered him.
No more. With the 30-28 nail-biter of a win over the Seahawks, Gonzo can leave that little issue behind. It helps that he caught a vintage Tony Gonzalez touchdown pass in the game, hauling it in despite tight coverage and toe-tapping to stay inbounds. He was an integral part of the game plan, and now he has a playoff victory to add to that long list of accomplishments.
In all his dominating years in the league, Gonzalez had not won a postseason game until Sunday. Granted, he played most of his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. But finally, Gonzalez could breathe a sigh of relief, knowing his career would not solely be remembered from what he did in the regular season.
More than that, Matt Ryan finally got the monkey off his back. The Falcons QB, who was quickly made the face of the franchise upon being drafted, had never delivered on a postseason game. This was his first career win in the playoff tournament, and there’s no telling how many more he can possibly have.
It is a very talented team in Atlanta, but they’ll have another test entirely when San Francisco visits next Sunday.
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