In his first game with the Atlanta Falcons after signing earlier this week in place of an injured Matt Bryant, Giorgio Tavecchio converted a 56-yard field goal with 1:55 left to play to seal a 23-20 victory over the New York Giants on Monday night.
After a 2-yard Saquon Barkley touchdown run brought the Giants with eight at 20-12 with 4:47 remaining, the Falcons bled nearly three minutes off the clock and Tavecchio’s career-long field goal gave the Falcons the 11-point cushion they needed to hold the victory.
Sterling Shepard caught a 58-yard pass on the following possession and Odell Beckham Jr. caught a 1-yard touchdown from Eli Manning with five seconds remaining to pull within three after a successful two-point conversion, but the Falcons recovered the onside kick to officially put the game away.
Tavecchio’s previous career-long was a 53-yard field goal with the Oakland Raiders last season.
Matt Ryan threw for 379 yards and a touchdown and Tevin Coleman rushed for 50 yards and a score in place of an injured Devonta Freeman to lead the way for the Falcons.
Ryan hit Marvin Hall for a 47-yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead with just under five minutes remaining in the first half.
Aldrick Rosas and Taveccho traded field goals over the next two quarters as the game remained within a single score until the midway point of the fourth quarter.
Tevin Coleman broke a 30-yard touchdown run to cap a nine-play, 65-yard drive that gave Atlanta a 20-6 lead with 7:47 left to play.
The Giants finally managed to mount a touchdown drive of their own. A nine-play, 78-yard drive ended with Barkley pushing into the end zone from two yards out to make it a 20-12 game. New York would go for a two-point conversion instead of kicking an extra point, but Manning’s pass for Beckham was incomplete leaving it an eight-point game.
Barkley was limited to just 43 yards on 14 carries on the ground for the Giants, but did catch nine passes for 51 yards on the night.
Shepard (167) and Beckham (143) each went over 100 yards receiving on the night as Manning threw for 399 yards and a touchdown on the night for the Giants.