Nov 16, 2008 6:46 pm US/Mountain
Broncos Rally For 24-20 Victory Over Atlanta
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By Paul Newberry, AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) ―
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Jamaal Anderson #98 of the Atlanta Falcons pressures quarterback Jay Cutler #6 of the Denver Broncos during the game at the Georgia Dome on November 16, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
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Kicker Jason Elam #1 of the Atlanta Falcons kicks a field goal against the Denver Broncos during the game at the Georgia Dome on November 16, 2008 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Matt Ryan rolled to his right and heaved a pass that could've saved the day for the Atlanta Falcons.
Roddy White got a step on the defender, looked back for the ball and readied himself to haul in the winning touchdown.
It went right through his hands. So did Atlanta's hopes of pulling out another win at home.
The Falcons' surprising season hit a bump Sunday when the short-handed Denver Broncos rallied in the fourth quarter for a 24-20 victory. With Carolina and Tampa Bay both winning, Atlanta lost ground in the NFC South and left itself with a virtual must-win situation next weekend when the first-place Panthers visit the Georgia Dome.
"Losing at home is never good," Falcons linebacker Michael Boley said. "This kind of put a dent in our plans."
Jay Cutler threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Daniel Graham with 5 1/2 minutes remaining and the Denver defense held off Atlanta's last-gasp drive -- with an assist from White.
After Atlanta (6-4) drove to the Denver 37 at the two-minute warning, a holding penalty on Tyson Clabo knocked the Falcons back. On third-and-18, Ryan went deep for White in the right corner of the end zone as safety Marquand Manuel slipped trying to keep up.
But the pass bounced off the receiver's hands before he tumbled out of bounds.
Ryan's next throw was incomplete, too, and the Broncos ran out the clock.
"I have to go out there and make those plays," said White, who had five catches for 102 yards but didn't make the biggest one of the game. "I feel responsible for the loss today. I had an opportunity and I didn't take advantage of it."
Ryan, who completed 20 of 33 for 250 yards, was diplomatic.
"I threw it too much to the outside," he said, "but luckily Roddy made the adjustment and almost made the catch."
The gritty Broncos (6-4) pulled out their second straight road victory despite a rash of injuries. They played without star cornerback Champ Bailey and all three of their projected starters at linebacker.
Spencer Larsen started at both middle linebacker and fullback, the first player in team history to pull off that double.
"Well, they needed me on defense," Larsen said. "I was real excited about it, but I was able to keep my cool. It was fun and challenging. At fullback, you really know what to do, but at linebacker, it's a different world."
On offense, Denver has lost five tailbacks, four of them for the season. Coach Mike Shanahan divvied up the carries among three players, including Tatum Bell, signed a few days earlier after an ugly departure from Detroit when he was accused of stealing luggage from a teammate.
"We made some big strides," Shanahan said. "Normally, you go the other direction when you have your starters out."
Things looked good for the home team when Michael Turner scored on a 28-yard run to put Atlanta ahead 20-17 with just under 11 minutes left. The Falcons had won four of their last five and were 4-0 at the Georgia Dome.
But the Broncos came storming back. Cutler accounted for more than half the distance on the 10-play, 83-yard drive when he hooked up with Brandon Marshall for a 47-yard pass after the big receiver broke away from Chris Houston.
"It wasn't the first read. It wasn't the second read," Cutler said. "He got behind everyone, and I just threw it up and he made the catch."
On third-and-goal at the Atlanta 9, Cutler scrambled to his right and spotted Graham for the winning score.
"It was a busted play," the quarterback said. "I got a little pressure and had to roll out. Daniel did a great job of finding a hole."
Coming off a 447-yard effort against Cleveland, Cutler completed 19 of 27 passes for 216 yards. Peyton Hillis, P.J. Pope and Bell combined for 113 yards rushing on 21 carries.
Hillis, a rookie making his first start at running back, scored on runs of 7 and 2 yards.
The Denver defense loaded up on the line and held Turner to 81 yards on 25 carries, though he did score both Atlanta touchdowns. Jason Elam accounted for Atlanta's other points with a pair of field goals against his former team.
Notes: Ryan threw his first interception of the season at home. ... Denver K Matt Prater, who started the 2007 season with the Falcons but was cut after only two games, made a 20-yarder but missed from 49. ... At halftime, the Falcons honored their 1998 Super Bowl team, including Jamal Anderson, who trotted on the field doing the "Dirty Bird" dance that became the team's trademark.
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