Falcons give Smith first win, beat Giants on Eli's day

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Younghoe Koo kicked a 40-yard field goal on the final play and the Atlanta Falcons beat the New York Giants 17-14 to give coach Arthur Smith his first NFL win Sunday.

It marked the second straight week the Giants (0-3) lost on the final play of the game.

Matt Ryan hit passes of 28 yards to Cordarrelle Patterson and 25 to rookie tight end Kyle Pitts on the game-winning drive.

Ryan engineered two late drives and threw two touchdowns to rally the Falcons (1-2). It spoiled a day when the Giants retired the jersey of two-time Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning and added his name to the Ring of Honor at MetLife Stadium.

Ryan threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Olamide Zaccheaus late in the first half and added a 1-yarder to Lee Smith to tie the game with 4:13 to play.

New York took a 14-7 lead on a Saquon Barkley’s 1-yard dive and Jones’ 2-point conversion run with 12:53 left in the game. It was Barkley's first TD since the final game of the 2019 season. He tore his ACL last year.

Ryan then drove the Falcons 72-yards in 16 plays to tie the game. He capped the march with a pass to Smith.

The Giants had two 73-yard drives that faltered late because of sack and a mishandled snap. Gano kicked field goals of 25 and 31 yards for a 6-0 lead.

A defensive stop deep in New York territory gave the Falcons the ball at the Giants. Atlanta covered the distance in six plays. Ryan found Zaccheaus for the TD on third down.

MANNING HONORED

The Giants retired the No. 10 jersey worn by Manning and added his name to the Ring of Honor at MetLife Stadium. Manning retired after the 2019 season.

Manning was walked to the stage by his offensive line. He finished his short speech by quoting the last Giants owner Wellington Mara who frequently said: “Once a Giant, always a Giant.”

While the crowd roared for Manning, current co-owner John Mara was booed when he spoke. The Giants have not been to the playoffs since 2016.

INJURIES

Atlanta: DL Marlon Davison sustained an ankle injury late in the first half and did not return.

New York: Inside linebacker Blake Martinez, the Giants leading tackler last season, sustained a knee injury on the opening series and did not return. WRs Darius Slayton and Sterling Shepard also were knocked out of the game in the first half with hamstring injuries.

UP NEXT

Atlanta: in Dallas on Oct. 3.

Giants: visit New Orleans on Oct. 3. It will be the Saints first home game since Hurricane Ida displaced the team last month. There was also a fire on the roof of the Caesars Superdome this past week.

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