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          Falcons rookie takes first-ever catch 93 yards for season's longest play

          • Vaughn McClure, ESPN Staff WriterDec 8, 2019, 08:21 PM
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            • Covered Bears for seven seasons at Chicago Tribune
            • Also worked at Chicago Sun-Times, Fresno Bee
            • Honorable mention, Football Writers Association of America for enterprise writing, 2002
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          Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan made the longest completion of his career, to the most unlikely of characters.

          Ryan, working out of the shotgun on third-and-8 from his own 7-yard line, took the snap, dropped back into the end zone, then fired a pass 50-plus yards in the air to undrafted rookie wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus. He caught the the ball over his shoulder, shook off a weak tackle attempt by Carolina cornerback Donte Jackson, then raced to the end zone for the 93-yard score. It was Zaccheaus' first career catch and touchdown.

          It was the longest play of the season.

          And it happened on the same day that Ryan became the 10th quarterback in NFL history to reach 50,000 career passing yards.