Eagles Get a Kick Out of Ruzek : NFC: His 46-yard field goal with 1:45 left lifts Philadelphia to a 24-23 victory over Atlanta.

Facing a 46-yard field-goal attempt to win the game, Roger Ruzek approached it like a 20-yarder.

The psychology worked and Ruzek’s kick with 1:45 left Sunday gave the Philadelphia Eagles a 24-23 victory over the Atlanta Falcons.

“I just wanted to kick it as smooth as an extra point,” Ruzek said after his kick gave the Eagles (6-4) a four-game winning streak. “I hit it perfect. I could have hit that one from 60.

“(Pressure) comes with the job. I hope it doesn’t happen too often. It’s a pressure situation, but I felt comfortable with it. This was unbelievable. We found a way to win.”

Philadelphia overcame a 16-7 deficit in the fourth quarter when Randall Cunningham found Keith Jackson on a 17-yard touchdown pass with 10:41 left and connected with Calvin Williams on a 30-yard scoring pass with 9:43 remaining.

But the Eagles needed Ruzek’s field goal after Chris Miller’s 23-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison put Atlanta (3-7) back into the lead. Miller set up the score with a 50-yard completion to George Thomas at the Philadelphia 23 on a third-and-10 play.

Ruzek’s winning kick came after a 29-yard punt by Atlanta’s Scott Fulhage gave the Eagles possession on their 47. Cunningham completed three passes for 24 yards in the eight-play drive that reached the Atlanta 29 before Ruzek came on.

Cunningham completed 16 of 24 passes for 214 yards on the day.

“The big thing is that we played with a lot more emotion today,” Philadelphia Coach Buddy Ryan said. “We had to because they were playing well.”

After Ruzek’s field goal, Atlanta had one more chance, but Miller threw an incomplete pass from the Atlanta 17 and left the field with what was described as an injury either to his ribs or sternum. Miller completed 19 of 38 passes for 268 yards.

Scott Campbell replaced him and threw three incomplete passes before the Eagles ran out the clock.

“That one hurt all of us,” Atlanta Coach Jerry Glanville said. “They’re a good football team. We had chance to make plays, but they’re good enough that they can hurt you. They are not an average football team. The bottom line is that they can play.”

Atlanta built its 16-7 lead on field goals of 53, 46 and 28 yards by Greg Davis and a one-yard run by Tracy Johnson.

Cunningham also passed for Philadelphia’s other touchdown, a one-yarder to Jackson that got the Eagles into a 7-7 tie 1:46 before halftime.

The Eagles had a 36-yard touchdown pass from Cunningham to Fred Barnett nullified by an illegal motion penalty in the second quarter.