This team is impossible to figure out, but there are certain truths we know. They’re better in the red helmets, they play contenders tougher than you’d expect, and they never play a full game…but sometimes it’s enough.
This was just the latest example of this. The Falcons were up 21-0 at one point in this one and completely dominated the first half, making Matthew Stafford uncomfortable, forcing turnovers, and getting some beautiful plays from Bijan Robinson. In the second half, though, they had a blocked
field goal returned for a touchdown, defensive lapses, and an offensive shrinking that let the Rams roar their way back into it and tie the game on a Puka Nacua touchdown grab. The Falcons managed to eke out enough offense to set up a 51 yard field goal try with Zane Gonzalez late, and he hit it to give them a 27-24 lead.
Then the stress started. Stafford missed a wide open Xavier Smith, Dee Alford appeared to get away with pass interference working against Tutu Atwell on a bomb—I’m not sure the Rams would’ve gotten a play off if that had been complete, though—and then A.J. Terrell made back-to-back great plays in coverage to seal the win. Despite nearly collapsing, the Falcons pulled it out against one of the best teams in football, running their winning streak to three games and ensuring that pick they’re sending to the Rams next year will land later.
It was a thrilling game, one that showed us Atlanta’s formidable strengths and their infuriating weaknesses throughout. One more to go before a pivotal offseason, and here’s the drive-by-drive recap of the game you just watched.
1st Quarter
A one yard carry for Bijan Robinson kicked things off for Atlanta. On his next carry, Bijan fought through trash for two yards. On third down, Kirk Cousins tried a shot to Drake London, but it was not there. Punt, and it was a beautiful 59 yarder, with a 30 yard return wiped out by a penalty on the Rams.
Kyren Williams took it three yards. The Falcons got Matthew Stafford rolling out without a great option, and his pass downfield to Colby Parkinson fell incomplete. A quick strike to Konata Mumpfield picked up a first down, and Raheem Morris challenged it; that challenge was not needed because replay assist determined it was short. The Rams elected to punt, and Deven Thompkins took the fair catch at the Falcons 35.
Bijan Robinson took it five yards. Then a Chris Lindstrom false start backed the Falcons up five yards. A strike under pressure to David Sills got close to a first down, and Sills fought through a tackle to do the rest. It was quickly second and ten, and then a carry for Tyler Allgeier got two yards. Cousins then found Darnell Mooney for a first down and then some. Under pressure on first down and off his back foot, Cousins missed Mooney to the sideline. Bijan then made a couple of moves to pick up eight yards. A leaping Sills found an opening in the defense and pulled in Cousins’ throw for a big gain. Bijan then got some nice blocking and picked up about eight yards again to put the Falcons inside the five yard line. A toss to Bijan on second down went nowhere. On third down, Cousins had time and was able to float one in to Bijan, who got open for the touchdown. 7-0 Falcons.
Touchback, and then Kaden Elliss made an amazing play tipping the ball away from Puka Nacua. Stafford then hit Parkinson in the hands, but he couldn’t catch it. On third down, Stafford managed to avoid pressure long enough to hit Xavier Smith for a first down. Blake Corum then took it about five yards. Corum then got four yards on second down. Stafford then threw a dart to Nacua for 10 yards. Corum then gained four yards. A quick pass to Davis Allen got a couple of yards, but an illegal hands to the face on Ronnie Harrison gave the Rams another first down. A quick pass to Parkinson got five yards. With pressure in his face, Stafford threw it away on second down. A quick pass to Mumpfield was a yard short of a first down. On fourth down, the run was blown up in the backfield by Khalid Kareem to end the Rams’ drive.
Bijan went up the middle for three yards. On the next play, he caught a quick screen and picked up the first down by cutting his way through defenders.
2nd Quarter
Allgeier got four yards on first down. He then powered through a tackle for another first down. Allgeier then cut a toss back inside for three yards. Cousins rolled out a bit away from pressure and found Pitts over the middle for about four yards. Cousins then hit London for a first down. The Falcons called a timeout with time running out. Then Bijan got three yards. Once again, Bijan made a couple defenders miss en route to three yards. Elijah Wilkinson then got called for a false start. Then Cousins tried Pitts on the sideline, but Pitts wasn’t where Cousins thought he would be. Punt, and Xavier Smith called for the fair catch at around the 12.
Williams picked up five yards on first down. Williams then ran into LaCale London for a gain of a yard. On third down, Stafford just straight up missed Mumpfield and threw it into the waiting hands of Jessie Bates, who was in exactly the right position and then A returned it 34 yards for the touchdown. 14-0 Falcons.
A Stafford strike with time to Parkinson got six yards. Corum got tackled after a yard. A deep shot to Terrance Ferguson went for 28 yards, though, with Xavier Watts trailing behind him. Corum got a couple of yards. Then Stafford took another deep shot to Nacua, but an illegal formation call brought it back. Corum got a couple of yards. A low throw to Nacua setting up a screen was a little too low, and it was fourth down. A good punt was downed at the 1, setting the Falcons up with poor field position.
Cousins snuck to get a yard. A quick Allgeier carry got maybe another yard. A delay of game backed the Falcons up again. A quick Bijan carry then went for a couple of yards. Pinion’s punt got to about the Rams 40, and then a stumbling returner was tackled before midfield.
Stafford took a deep shot downfield, and Xavier Watts picked it off, with an offensive pass interference call on the play to boot.
Bijan Robinson got through the first line of defense and was simply gone, running 93 yards for a touchdown. 21-0 Falcons.
A quick Stafford dart to Nacua went for eight yards. Stafford then hit Smith for a first down. A deep shot to Mumpfield went way over the receiver’s head, and then Ruke Orhorhoro sacked Stafford to end the half.
3rd Quarter
After a nice return for the Rams, Brandon Dorlus got Stafford for a sack. Stafford had to roll out and looked for Ferguson, missing him to make it 4th and 6. Stafford was able to avoid pressure and got Smith for 36 yards. The Rams got two on the ground. A screen to Smith picked up three yards before Watts popped him. Then Leonard Floyd sacked Stafford to set up a field goal try, which Harrison Mevis hit. 21-3 Falcons.
After a solid Dylan Drummond return, Bijan managed to break a tackle, keep his balance, and take off running for another huge gain. Two unproductive Bijan plays picked up a yard, and then Elijah Wilkinson was called for a false start again. A short throw to Sills got a few yards, but that wasn’t nearly enough. Fortunately, Zane Gonzalez was good on the long try to make it 24-3 Falcons.
The Rams got a first down with a pass to Smith. Then Khalid Kareem pressured Stafford and dirted him. Kyren Williams then picked up nine yards on the ground. Stafford then got Parkinson for 16 yards, and then found a wide-open Ferguson in the end zone. 24-10 Falcons.
After a solid return, Cousins hit Mooney for 21 yards, and then the Rams got hit for unnecessary roughness. Cousins dumped it off to Bijan and he got eight yards. Bijan picked up a couple of yards, and then Allgeier bullied his way to six more. Allgeier was then swallowed up by Jared Verse and company for no gain. Gonzalez came on to try a field goal, but it was blocked and Verse took it all the way to the house for a score. 24-17 Falcons.
Bijan caught a quick pass and fought his way to a first down.
4th Quarter
Another quick pass to Bijan picked up three yards. Another two yards gave teh Falcons a reasonable distance to go on third down. Cousins then tried Bijan over the middle, but he got tangled up with the defender, there was no flag, and the team had to punt.
After a ten yard return, Stafford got Nacua for about seven yards. Kyren Williams then broke about a 20 yard run. A quick pass to Parkinson got eight yards. Williams then picked up eight yards and a first down. A quick pass for about four yards to Parkinson followed. Stafford just missed a diving Nacua on second down. On the next play, James Pearce Jr. jumped early, which was a real shame given that Stafford fumbled and Orhorhoro picked the ball up. Williams got popped on the next carry after a small gain, with London leading the way. Going for it on fourth down, Stafford was picked off again by Watts, who returned it to the 31 before he stepped out of bounds.
The Falcons got eight yards on a pair of Bijan touches, but Cousins threw it away under pressure and was nearly picked off on third down. Punt, and the Rams had it back deep in their own territory.
Williams got 14 yards on first down. Williams caught another one and got about 15 yards before Watts got him. Another catch by Williams got six yards. Ronnie Rivers then picked up a first down. Stafford then took a deep shot in the end zone to Nacua, but D.J. Humphries held and it came back. Williams took it a couple of yards. Then Stafford found Ferguson for 16 yards, as he shrugged off a Divine Deablo tackle and got a couple more. Williams then found a hole and took it 22 yards. A quick screen to Nacua got the touchdown. 24-24.
Touchback. Cousins saw pressure and panic threw it away, nearly tossing a pick again. Cousins then hit Pitts over the middle for 11 yards and a first down. Bijan then picked up five yards, and followed that up with a hesitation to grab four more yards. Bijan then got a nice block from Allgeier and picked up the first down while getting out of bounds. Allgeier then picked up no yards on first down, and followed that up with no gain on second down. Allgeier then picked up a yard. Then Zane Gonzalez hit his field goal try from 51 yards to make it 27-24.
Bradley Pinion put it in the end zone for a touchback. Stafford had a wide open Smith, but he stumbled a bit and Stafford just missed him. Stafford then tried another deep shot, this one to Tutu Atwell, and he couldn’t reel it in with Dee Alford on him; the booth wanted a pass interference but didn’t get it. Nacua appeared to have reeled one in while falling out of bounds with one hand, but the officiating crew ruled it an incompletion. The play was then under review, and they determined the ball came loose before he hit the ground, perhaps aided by A.J. Terrell getting his hand in there. On the final play of the game, Terrell broke it up and the Falcons held on to win.
