What do I do with this?
What do I do with this, Atlanta Falcons?
Bijan Robinson is one more big game against the New Orleans Saints from potentially challenging Chris Johnson’s scrimmage yard record. Kirk Cousins has led this team to a three-game winning streak, the longest since they took control of the NFC South in the earlier parts of last season.
Atlanta has a chance to end the season on a 4-game winning streak for the first time since 2019. A hilarious coincidence because it feels very similar
to that 2019 season: Does Dan Quinn deserve another year? He probably doesn’t, but there’s just enough momentum to go into next year, right?
There’s enough talent here to build off the good graces of last season, right?
He hasn’t lost the team yet, so there’s no reason to make such rash decisions surrounding the franchise, right?
No, I’m sure this time will go just fine.
Anyway, the Falcons have done something beautiful tonight, as they proved that there is more to playing football than just going to the playoffs and competing for a Super Bowl. Football is about the guys next to you in the locker room and playing your heart out for them. For James Pearce, Jr. and Xavier Watts whose mere presence in this game is a storyline surrounding April’s blockbuster trade. For Kirk Cousins, who despite him playing in the sunset of his career, is still looking for one last chance to show he’s still got it. And finally, for Raheem Morris, who despite what all us fans think, has not yet lost the entirety of the locker room, and still has guys playing their hearts out for him to have one more year to try to steer the ship that he and GM Terry Fontenot have captained over the past couple of years.
Without further ado, let’s get into the highlights.
Kirk Cousins shows out to lead 11-play TD drive
After the defense forced a crucial three-and-out, it was up to the offense to capitalize.
Boy, did they.
Kirk Cousins went 4-for-6 for 50 yards, including 3-for-3 against the blitz through the air, to help lead the Falcons 65 yards down the field, including this 4-yard floater to Bijan Robinson.
Also, Christian McCaffrey is leading the league in total yards from scrimmage with 2069, Bijan Robinson comes into week 17 only 43 yards behind him with 2026.
In the first two drives, Robinson has already gained 25 yards from scrimmage.
Khalid Kareems Kyren Williams for the Turnover on Downs
Matthew Stafford is struggling to find guys downfield, the Rams are having to earn every yard downfield, and now Khalid Kareem blows by fill-in left tackle D.J. Humphries for a crucial 4th-down stop near the end of the first quarter.
Jessie Bates gets his annual pick-six to put Falcons up two scores
Oh, you thought you were getting out of the 2025 season without a Jessie Bates pick-six?
Think again.
Matthew Stafford forced the ball too high, and Jessie Bates made him pay.
Since Bates became a Falcon in 2023, he has reeled in 13 interceptions, tied for the third-most in that span with Xavier McKinney and Geno Stone.
Xavier Watts hawks down the INT for Stafford’s 2nd of the day
Just in case you forgot about the 2nd part of that now infamous trade with the Los Angeles Rams in the 2025 draft, Watts is here to remind you.
With his fourth interception, Xavier Watts leads rookies outright, making the Falcons the leader in both interceptions by a rookie and sacks by a rookie (James Pearce, Jr. – 8.5).
Bijan Robinson records the longest play of the 2025 NFL season to skunk the Rams
Remember when you would play Madden against your older cousins and they tell you to pass the sticks? It would always be on some demoralizing-type play where they would put that fateful third touchdown on the board.
Bijan Robinson’s 93-yard TD is that play.
Not only is this the longest run of the year, a feat that Robinson had taken from him in front of him and a stadium full of German spectators by Jonathan Taylor, but it’s the longest touchdown of the league, period.
It overtakes Matthew Stafford’s 88-yard bomb to Tutu Atwell against the Colts at the end of September.
Bijan breaks the franchise record for scrimmage yards in a season in a way that only Bijan can
In a lost season, filled with more questions than answers, one constant has been Bijan Robinson. With this play, Robinson surpasses William Andrews’ record for most scrimmage yards in a season, when he had 2,176 total yards in 1983.
And that’s not all…
Xavier Watts snags 2nd INT of the night against Stafford
Matthew Stafford came into the game as the odds-on favorite for the MVP award. After this performance, there is going to have to be a discussion about other potential options.
Stafford threw his third interception of the night, his 2nd to the rookie safety, Xavier Watts.
With his 2nd interception of the game, Watts becomes the ninth Falcons rookie with a multi-interception game, the last being former first-round pick Michael Booker in 1997.
Zane Gonzalez nails go-ahead field goal to put Falcons up late
Zane Gonzalez has been money for the Falcons, with the only miss in his past six attempts being a blocked kick to keep the Rams in the game.
Now, with the game on the line, Gonzalez puts the Falcons up by three with only 21 seconds left to go in the game.
Other Notables
- Bijan Robinson claims the spot for fifth-most rushing yards in a game by an Atlanta Falcon with 195 against the Rams. Robinson also joins Michael Turner and William Andrews as the only other Falcon to have multiple games of 200+ scrimmage yards.
- Divine Deablo and Kaden Elliss were all over the field today. Deablo racked up 10 total tackles (7 solo), while Elliss made some stellar plays, including an incredible PBU early in the game.
- Before leaving with what appears to be a serious lower-body injury, Brandon Dorlus jumped Jumpy Geathers for the 4th-most sacks by a Falcons defensive tackle with 8.5. That mark is also the most sacks for a Falcons defensive tackle since Roderick Coleman racked up 10.5 sacks in 2005. Hopefully, Dorlus’ injury isn’t as serious as it seemed, and we’re praying for a speedy recovery.
