Elam comes through for Falcons

ATLANTA - Atlanta Falcons place-kicker Jason Elam made good on his second chance - the Bears' kickoff team did not.

Elam's 48-yard game-winning field goal with no time left boomed through the uprights for Atlanta's 22-20 victory Sunday only two minutes and 50 seconds after he badly missed a comparative chip shot, a 33-yarder for a potential clinching score.

"You just go on the field and try to make it like any other kick," Elam said. "It's a golf swing. Some of the guys asked me about the field goal before because things don't always go like you want them to.

"You just don't want to let the previous play affect the next play. I'm just very thankful the kick went through."

Elam matched a career high with 5 field goals, but his missed 33-yarder ended a streak of 29 straight field goals made dating back to last season with the Denver Broncos.

"I know that he has to feel a heck of a lot better now than he would have if we didn't have an opportunity to kick that field goal," Falcons coach Mike Smith said. "That was a pressure kick. He's hit a lot of game-winners in his career."

Elam could have given Atlanta a 22-13 lead with his 33-yarder, but he produced an ugly, low hook, wide to the left. It took the Bears' kick coverage unit off the hook because they allowed Jerious Norwood's 85-yard return to set up the field-goal try.

"We've stopped a lot of great kickoff return teams," said Bears special teamer Jamar Williams. "A lot of praise goes to Norwood, as well, because he was really hitting it. We've just got to do a better job."

The Bears' kickoff coverage team got a second chance to make good after Elam's miss because Kyle Orton drove the Bears to a go-ahead 17-yard touchdown pass to Rashied Davis with 11 seconds to play.

Norwood threw enough of a scare into the Bears with his 85-yard return that Robbie Gould was ordered to squib-kick. The low, line drive only reached Atlanta's 34, where wide receiver Harry Douglas returned it 10 yards.

Without such good field position, the Falcons could never have had Matt Ryan's 26-yard completion along the sidelines to Michael Jenkins at the Bears' 30. Elam would never have had a second chance.

"The kickoff before, we kicked it deep and they were able to get a long runback," Bears coach Lovie Smith said. "The guys were a little bit tired so we felt like a squib would be safe to get them down, and they would have a chance at maybe one more play.

"If we keep it in play (on the final pass) the game should be over."

Gould's squib kick came up about 15 yards short of where he intended.

"To the 20 or 15," said Gould, when asked the ideal spot for his squibber. "There's 11 seconds left. You're playing the odds that he's not going to return it if you don't (squib).

"They did well all day on kickoff return. They ripped us on kickoff."