CHAPTER 1 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME HEROICS tlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan Atook the snap He dropped back and scanned the field The Green Bay Packers defenders knew Ryan had a strong arm They were ready for a pass But Ryan saw a hole in the middle of the field With no defenders nearby Ryan started running from the Packers 20 yard line Ryan shredded the Packers defense throwing for 392 yards and four touchdowns 5
Ryan sprints toward the end zone for the Falcons second touchdown of the game Ryan faked a throw while on the move That was enough to freeze a Packers defender Ryan continued running and 6
dived into the end zone Falcons fans could hardly believe it Ryan hadn't run for a touchdown in five years Ryan spiked the ball hard and the hometown crowd roared The Falcons now had a 17 0 lead But this wasn't just any game It was the National Football Conference NFC Championship Game after the 2016 season Ryan wasn't finished In the third quarter the Falcons had the ball on their own 27 yard line Ryan spotted Julio Jones one of the best wide receivers in the National Football League NFL Ryan threw a laser Jones caught the pass and raced into the zone end
