QB Matt Ryan faced heat all game long against the Raiders but orchestrated another Falcons' comeback victory.
(US Presswire)

They don't call Asante Samuel "pick-six" for nothing. The veteran cornerback lived up to his nickname and Matt Bryant hit his second game-winning field goal in three weeks as the Falcons defeated Oakland, 23-20, on Sunday in the Georgia Dome. The win was Atlanta’s third consecutive comeback victory and improved its record to 6-0 heading into a Week 7 bye.

QB Matt Ryan (24 of 37 for 249 yards) was uncharacteristically sloppy through the first three-and-a-half quarters, throwing three interceptions for just the second time in his career. Ryan had thrown just three interceptions total coming into the game, and the Raiders (1-4) hadn’t forced one all season. But relentless pressure and timely hits forced numerous errant throws from the fifth-year quarterback.

But as the last two weeks have proved, Ryan doesn't need much time to ochestrate game-winning drives. On Sunday, it only took him 40 seconds to march down the field and give his team yet another opportunity to win a game in which it was outplayed. With two timeouts at his disposal, Ryan used three receivers, connected on 5 of 6 passes, and positioned Bryant for the game-winning 55-yard field goal with six seconds on the clock. It was Bryant's 14th game-winning kick of his career. 

Samuel, the team's lone offseason acquisition, broke a 13-13 deadlock with 6:19 left in the game when he jumped a third-and-six out route intended for Denarius Moore and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown. Samuel went directly to the sidelines for an oxygen mask as cameras caught Falcons owner Arthur Blank congratulating the veteran cornerback.

Atlanta’s defense, which gave up 149 rushing yards on the day, couldn’t hold the lead and allowed the Raiders back into the game with an eight-play, 80-yard drive that culminated in a Darren McFadden two-yard touchdown rush. Coming into the game, the Falcons had averaged 376 yards per game (12th in the NFL) but were outgained 474-286 on Sunday.

The Raiders benefitted from poor tackling by Atlanta’s linebackers, including a costly miss by veteran Mike Peterson, who didn’t wrap up Moore’s legs on a 25-yard touchdown strike late in the first half. Backup RB Mike Goodson had a 43-yard run with Oakland’s back against the end zone, exposing the Falcons’ primary weakness yet again.

The Falcons, who were just 2 of 9 on third-down conversions, are fortunate to head into the bye week with the NFL’s lone undefeated record. 

When the game turned: Samuel’s interception returned for a touchdown sparked the docile Georgia Dome crowd into a frenzy as the Falcons took the lead for the first time on Sunday with 2:40 remaining in the game. It was the 46th interception of Samuel's career and his sixth career touchdown.

(Video courtesy of NESN)

Highlight moment: With the Falcons driving midway through the third quarter, Atlanta was facing a third-and-three from their own 37-yard line. Ryan tossed a pass to Harry Douglas that bounced off of cornerback Joselio Hanson’s helmet and settled into the receiver’s hands to give Atlanta its first third-down conversion of the game. The Falcons converted just one other third-down all day; the Raiders were 5 for 13.

On the ensuing third-quarter series following Douglas’s unbelievable catch, DE John Abraham stripped QB Carson Palmer on the Oakland 39-yard line as he was about to throw it, and fellow DL Ray Edwards ran it back to the 2-yard line. As has been an issue all season with Atlanta, it wasn’t able to fully capitalize on the turnover and could only flip it into a field goal. Fullback Jason Snelling got the third-and-one attempt from the 1-yard line and was stonewalled by Oakland MLB Rolando McClain.

Top-shelf performance:

  • Abraham had a monster game, creating constant pressure on Palmer. He finished with five tackles, three sacks and the forced fumble. His three sacks averaged 9.3 yards per loss. Defensive tackle Jonathan Babineaux was listed on the injury report this past week but played Sunday and finished with five tackles, including three tackles for loss.

  • Palmer was 23 for 33 for 353 yards and a touchdown, but his fourth-quarter interception turned the momentum of the game. He picked Atlanta’s soft secondary apart and had 85 yards passing on the game-tying drive.

  • Moore finished with five catches for 104 yards and gave the Falcons cornerbacks headaches in between their gap coverages.

What Samuel said (and tweeted) about the pick-six: 

  • “He got a couple plays on me early, so you know [Palmer’s] confidence was boosted a little bit and he tried to get a little five-yard route and you know I was on my keys and I made the play,” Samuel said to atlantafalcons.com. 

On his confidence, despite getting beaten earlier in the game: 

  • “Going into this world I had a strong mama; she’s a very confident lady. Her faith is through the sky. It kinda bled onto her son. I gotta give her all the thanks. As a cornerback, you gotta have a short memory. If anything go bad, you gotta forget about it.” 

Defensive end Jonathan Abraham on the difference between winning and losing: 

  • “It’s the difference between being 5-1 and being 6-0. We lose this game we go into the bye week feeling bad compared to going into the bye week feeling good."

Matt Ryan on the game-winning drive:

  • "Luckily our field-goal range is as long as it is. In this league, games are gonna come down to the wire and you have to execute and you have to stay calm. Offensively and defensively, I think everybody has that no flinch mentality.”

Stats you should know: Coming into the game, the Falcons (19 penalties on the year) and the Raiders (21) were ranked number one and two in terms of fewest penalties. Oakland finished the game with 12 penalties for 125 yards. Holding penalties on Oakland negated at least three first-down runs by McFadden, and Atlanta had just two penalties for 25 yards in the victory.

With the win, coach Mike Smith now has 49 career victories, tying Dan Reeves for the most all-time in Falcons history.

Going forward: The Falcons take their bye week with an eye towards a huge matchup against the Eagles in Philadelphia on Oct. 28. Coach Mike Smith will likely give the team plenty of rest but address the glaring defensive lapses once the team returns to practice. The Raiders host Jacksonville next weekend. The Jaguars, who have won just one game, will be coming off of their bye week.

For more Falcons coverage, follow Mike Singer @CBSFalcons.