SportsDirect Inc. staff
Dec 1, 2013
Falcons 34, Bills 31 (OT): Matt Bryant kicked a 36-yard field goal with 12:00 left in overtime as visiting Atlanta handed Buffalo its second straight loss in Toronto.
Matt Ryan threw for 311 yards and a touchdown and Steven Jackson rushed for 84 yards and two scores, including the tying TD with 1:28 left in regulation, as the Falcons (3-9) dropped the Bills to 1-5 all time in Toronto. Roddy White had season highs with 10 catches and 143 yards for Atlanta.
EJ Manuel threw for 210 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score, but his 22-yard completion to tight end Scott Chandler on the second play of overtime was fumbled away, setting up the Falcons' game-winning kick. C.J. Spiller rushed for 149 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries as the Bills (4-8) saw their postseason hopes dealt a huge blow, falling two games behind the sixth seed Ravens.
Buffalo jumped out to a 14-0 lead in the first 10 minutes when Spiller's 77-yard run set up Manuel's 1-yard TD run and, shortly thereafter, Fred Jackson ran it in from 4 yards out. Atlanta's long-dormant running game came to life when Steven Jackson and Antone Smith had TD runs of 27 and 38 yards, respectively, before Bryant's 49-yard field goal as time expired in the first half tied it at 17-17.
The Falcons went ahead when Ryan connected with tight end Tony Gonzalez for an 11-yard score, but the Bills capitalized on a botched quarterback snap when Fred Jackson took a screen pass 21 yards for a 24-24 tie with 6:01 left in the third. Spiller's 36-yard scoring run put Buffalo on top with 11:48 to play but Steven Jackson plowed in from 1 yard for the tying score with 1:28 remaining after a pass-interference call in the end zone.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Gonzalez had four receptions for 42 yards, giving him a catch in 207 consecutive games - the second-longest streak in history behind Jerry Rice (274). ... Spiller's 77-yard jaunt to set up the game's first TD was the longest non-scoring run in franchise history and helped Buffalo become the ninth straight team to rush for more than 100 yards against Atlanta. ... White, who has battled a high-ankle sprain and an ailing hamstring, had his first 100-yard game since Dec. 22, 2012, against Detroit.