It looked like it was over.
Matt Ryan's career playoff record was less than a minute from dropping to 0-4, with this come-from-ahead defeat to the Seattle Seahawks set to be the hardest to handle of his five-year NFL career. Having squandered a 20-0 lead at halftime and a 27-7 lead after three quarters, Ryan and the Falcons were about to go down in stunning fashion. Even worse, the loss was going to come at home, where they had gone 7-1 during the regular season en route to wrapping up the NFC South crown and clinching a first-round playoff bye.
It looked like it was over.
Russell Wilson had just orchestrated yet another fourth-quarter scoring drive for the Seahawks. When Marshawn Lynch rumbled -- and perhaps fumbled -- his way into the end zone, he had given the visitors (after the extra point) an improbable 28-27 lead.
Ryan took over possession of the ball at his own 28-yard line, after Jacquizz Rodgers returned the ensuing kickoff to that spot. The clock showed 25 seconds remaining in the game. Again, it looked like the Atlanta quarterback was set for yet another playoff loss in a career that would be likely be defined in papers and online the next day by playoff defeats.
It looked like it was over.
But then Ryan earned his nickname, Matty Ice. On first down, he fired a 22-yard pass to Harry Douglas to move the Falcons out to midfield. Calm. 18 seconds. After a timeout, Ryan connected with Tony Gonzalez for 19 more yards. Cool. 13 seconds. After two more timeouts -- with the second one coming from Pete Carroll and negating a miss -- the Falcons won the game on a go-ahead field goal from Matt Bryant.
And then it was over. Ice.
Does this drive change your take on Ryan? Would another loss? Is he Matty Ice? Or Matty Adequate?
WATCH THE ENTIRE GAME-WINNING DRIVE ABOVE
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