FLASH RECAP:
Matt Bryant kicks a 55-yard field goal with 1 second remaining to lift Atlanta to a victory over Oakland before an announced crowd of 69,383 at the Georgia Dome on Oct. 14, 2012.
Bryant's fourth field goal of the game comes 39 seconds after the Raiders deadlock the score at 20-all on Darren McFadden's 2-yard touchdown run and a Sebastian Janikowski PAT.
After Janikowski's touchback on the ensuing kickoff, Matt Ryan is 5 of 6 passing for 43 yards on Atlanta's winning drive. Ryan completes consecutive passes to tight end Tony Gonzalez for 10 and 13 yards to advance the ball to the Oakland 37 with 5 seconds left before Bryant makes his decisive kick.
The NFC South-leading Falcons improve to a franchise-best 6-0 record while the Raiders fall to 1-4, equaling their worst start since the 2008 season.
The Falcons and Raiders combine for 17 points in the game's final 2:40.
Atlanta's Asante Samuel returns a Carson Palmer interception 79 yards for a touchdown to give the Falcons a 20-13 lead. McFadden's aforemetioned short scoring run ties the game for the second time before Bryant delivers his winning kick.
PRIME-TIME PLAYERS:
K Matt Bryant — Is 4 of 5 on field goal attempts, including the game winner from 55 yards with one second remaining.
CB Asante Samuel — His 79-yard interceptions return for a TD with 2:40 remaining gives Atlanta a 20-13 advantage.
DE John Abraham — Has monster effort with all three of Atlanta's sacks and a forced fumble that leads to a field goal.
WR Denarius Moore — Has 104 receiving yards and a TD on 5 catches. His 25-yard TD catch with 1:50 left in the first half gives Oakland a 13-7 lead.
Raiders defense — The unit surrenders only 286 total yards (including 45 rushing), has three interceptions and allows only two third-down conversions in nine attempts.
QB Carson Palmer — His fourth-quarter interception is a killer but he throws for 353 yards and a TD and finishes with a 102.2 passer rating.
KEY STATS:
The Raiders intercept Atlanta's Matt Ryan three times, Oakland's first interceptions this season. Defensive backs Joselio Hansen, Michael Huff and Tyvon Branch have interceptions during the first half for the Raiders.
The Raiders self-destruct with 12 penalties for 102 yards. The Falcons have only two penalties for 25 yards. In its first four games, Oakland has 19 penalties for 143 yards.
Atlanta's Matt Ryan has a 59.4 passer rating on 24 of 37 passes for 249 yards and a touchdown with three interceptions against Oakland. Ryan entered the game as the league's second top-rated passer with a 106.1 rating.
With 149 rushing yards against the Falcons, the Raiders more than double their league-worst rushing average (60.8 yards per game).
THEY SAID IT:
"We hadn't been getting the job done, but we thought we could play with anyone, and we showed it. To still not come up with a win hurts, man. It really hurts."
Raiders LB Phillip Wheeler
"We had a great game plan and I let the team down, I let the fans down. Making the mistake I made (fourth-quarter interception) was crucial. It’s my fault."
Raiders QB Carson Palmer
"We've been in these situations before. We know what we need to do."
Falcons QB Matt Ryan
"We wanted to use up as much time as we possibly could, and unfortunately we gave them a little bit too much."
Raiders coach Dennis Allen
BY THE NUMBERS:
2.6: Rushing yards per carry for Oakland's Darren McFadden, who finishes with 70 rushing yards on 27 carries.
17: Combined points by the Falcons (10) and the Raiders (7) in the game's final 2:40.
474: Raiders' total yards compared to 286 yards for the Falcons.
DID YOU KNOW?:
Falcons coach Mike Smith improves his career record to 49-21, tying Dan Reeves as the winningest coach in team history.
The Raiders fall to 6-27 in regular-season games in the Eastern Time Zone since December 2002.
With the loss, the Raiders are 7-6 all-time against the Falcons, including 3-3 in games in Atlanta.
