Atlanta has now lost seven of their last eight games, have ensured a losing season for the eighth straight year, and been blown out by more than 20 points on three separate occasions. A season that started
out with some promise and quickly went sour has become fully rancid, with the stink televised for a national audience on a weekly basis. It’s tough to endure.
This one was actually a game in the first half. The defense clamped down and made Sam Darnold skittish, so while the offense struggled and picked up a questionable call on a would-be Darnell Mooney touchdown, it was tied 6-6 when the team went into the locker room. The problem was that things went wildly bad from there, as the Seahawks outscored the Falcons 31-3 in the second half, with a complete team failure that began with special teams on a 100 yard kickoff return and spread to the defense and offense. By the end, the Falcons barely looked like they wanted to be out on that field, and that was only fair given that we barely wanted to watch them.
There are four games to go, two in primetime unless the NFL mercifully flexes the Rams game out of it, and then we can move on to an offseason that has to provide more hope than this.
Here’s a drive-by-drive recap of the game you just watched against your will.
1st Quarter
Deven Thompkins took it back past the 25 yard line. A quick Bijan Robinson carry went for five yards. On second down, he picked up two yards by fighting through contact. A quick hitter over the middle to Robinson picked up a few yards and a first down. Bijan then took it for a first down, and then picked up three yards. With pressure coming in fast on the play action, Kirk Cousins threw it away in the direction of Charlie Woerner. Cousins then fired it deep to Kyle Pits, but it was slightly underthrown, Pitts couldn’t corral it, and Julian Love was all over him to make it more difficult. Punt.
A quick screen to Jaxon Smith-Njigba lost a yard after A.J. Terrell and company fought through trash to get him. A quick pass to Kenneth Walker similarly was blown up swiftly, with Dee Alford hitting him and Mike Hughes finishing the tackle. Sam Darnold was then sacked near the end zone on third down, with James Pearce Jr. (who else?) getting him. Jamal Agnew took the punt 14 yards to the Seattle 40.
Cousins went right back to Pitts with some time and got 20. A quick handoff to Tyler Allgeier went for a yard. A crazy Bijan jump cut got him six yards. Then Cousins tried one to David Sills, but the ball was hit in the air and Sills couldn’t reel it in. The Falcons tried to get Seattle to jump offsides and ate the delay of game, and then Zane Gonzalez hit the field goal to make it 3-0 Falcons.
The Rashid Shaheed return went to the 25 yard line. Walker then took it two yards, and Darnold rolled out, felt a little pressure, and missed JSN. On third down, Darnold got him for a first down. A screen under pressure to A.J. Barner lost yardage after Kentavius Street blew it up, but a defensive offsides messed that up. Zach Charbonnet then rumbled for 27 yards after finding a hole. On first down, Darnold missed JSN in the end zone, and Pearce was hurt on the play after being flung to the ground (no penalty, though). Walker was then taken down for a loss by Alford. JSN then caught one and appeared to get the first down, but Terrell punched it out out of bounds just shy of a first down. On fourth down, the Falcons got popped for a neutral zone infraction. Walker then got nothing going up the middle before an illegal use of hands to face penalty gave Seattle more yards and a first down. Under pressure from Arnold Ebiketie, Darnold missed his throw. Walker fought through contact for 10 yards. JSN was out of bounds on third down with Terrell close, preventing a touchdown. The field goal try was good to make it 3-3.
Bijan turned nothing into six yards.
2nd Quarter
After a lot of pre-snap motion, Bijan got another three yards to make it 3rd and 1. Allgeier tried to kick it outside, but it did not get there. On fourth down, though, Allgeier got it up the middle for a first down. Cousins then threw it away with a big blitz incoming. A flip to Bijan went for nothing, and then Cousins got Pitts well short of a first down. Punt, and Seattle was pinned deep.
A holding call erased a nice Kenneth Walker run. Walker was then tackled quickly after two yards. Darnold then got Shaheed for 12 yards. On the next play, A.J. Terrell tipped Darnold’s pass into the air and Mike Hughes picked it off for his first interception since 2021.
A Bijan first down run was wiped out by a holding call. Bijan was then tackled after a yard. A screen to Robinson only got a couple of yards. Another screen for Pitts was batted down, and then Gonzalez’s field goal try was blocked.
On first down, a play action pass went nowhere as Kentavius Street sacked Darnold. He managed to escape pressure on the next play and get JSN for a few yards. Darnold then missed Shaheed. Punt.
Bijan took it eight yards on first down. Robinson then took it about six yards for a first down. A quick screen to Thompkins went for four yards. Another screen, this one to Allgeier, went for 15 yards, but a holding call on the Falcons backed Atlanta up. But Allgeier was able to get nine and pick up the first down. On the next play, Allgeier was flipped in the air for a small loss. On the next play, Cousins threw one downfield to Pitts and Pitts reeled it in on a beautiful extended arms grab for 30 yards. A screen to Bijan then went for four yards, and then Cousins dirted one in the direction of Bijan. Then Cousins hit Darnell Mooney for a 26 yard touchdown…or it would have been, if Mooney hadn’t stepped out of bounds and the crew ruled that he didn’t re-established himself in bounds. Gonzalez hit the field goal to make it 6-3 Falcons.
A quick pass to JSN, a quick hitter to Charbonnet, and a Darnold sneak gave the Seahawks a first down. Darnold scrambled away from pressure and got a first down before Pearce got him down. Darnold then had time to work and hit Shaheed for a first down to get the Seahawks in field goal range. Darnold got a five yard completion with four seconds left and getting it out of bounds. Jason Myers hit the field goal try to make it 6-6 at halftime.
3rd Quarter
Rashid Shaheed took the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. Unreal. 10-6 Seahawks.
Kirk Cousins hit Kyle Pitts for 26 yards on first down. A few yards and then a first down followed for Bijan. Another seven yard gain for Pitts was followed by two yards for Bijan. On the next carry, Bijan stretched to get the first down and fumbled, with Seattle recovering.
A short carry followed by a short pass set up a 3rd and 2 for the Seahawks. A quick pass to Shaheed went for a first down. Darnold rolled away from pressure and hit Cody White for nine yards. Walker then got seven yards and a first down. Darnold then had hit time and hit Smith-Njigba for 27 yards downfield. Walker was tackled for no gain on a toss he tried to cut back inside. Then Darnold hit JSN and Terrell had a terrible tackle attempt and he scored. 20-6 Seahawks.
Bijan was tripped up after a minimal gain. He then spun to a couple of yards. A deflected Cousins pass was then intercepted.
Walker picked up a yard. A Falcons defender jumped and then Cooper Kupp reeled one in for 24 yards, so the Seahawks just declined it. Walker then dropped a short pass. A three yard carry gave way to Darnold having time and airing it out, with the ball thrown well over Kupp’s head. With the field goal, it was 23-6 Seahawks.
A couple of nice runs by Bijan gave the Falcons a first down. Under pressure, Cousins threw it sideways to Allgeier, who got the blocking to pick up 21 yards. Cousins hit Dyland Drummond over the middle for a first down. Cousins tried Sills but threw it too low. Robinson then took it a few yards. A quick screen to Drummond was stopped after a couple of yards.
4th Quarter
Gonzalez hit the field goal try to make it 23-9 Seahawks.
The Gonzalez kickoff rolled out of bounds, giving Seattle the ball at the 40. Charbonnet then dropped a pass. Charbonnet then picked up four yards. Darnold then found a wide open Shaheed for 33 yards. Darnold then tucked it and ran for nine yards. Walker then cut inside to pick up a first down. A quick pass to Kupp then went for a touchdown. 30-9 Seahawks.
Cousins tried a deep ball to Sills but missed. A quick hitter to Drummond got three yards. A juggled pass from Sills was intercepted again.
After a three yard run, Darnold hit Charbonnet for a good gain and a first down. He then hit A.J. Barner off play action for another first down. Darnold missed in the end zone. Charbonnet was then swallowed up for no gain. Under pressure, Darnold started running and hit JSN for another touchdown. 37-9 Seahawks.
Deven Thompkins took it past the 40. A quick pass to Mooney went for six yards. Cousins then threw one too low for Allgeier, but a roughing the passer call on Seattle gave Atlanta 15 yards and a fresh set of downs. Cousins then threw it too high for Pitts. Cousins was then blown up very quickly for a sack. On third and a mile, a quick pass to Pitts didn’t get very much, but a taunting call on Riq Woolen gave the Falcons 15 yards and a fresh set of downs again. A pass to Drummond was broken up. Allgeier then danced for maybe a yard. Cousins tried Sills in the end zone, but another penalty (this time for pass interference) gave Atlanta another first down. Back-to-back Allgeier carries picked up a yard or two. Cousins then tried Drummond over the middle but couldn’t get it. Cousins tried Mooney, but the pass was broken up. On fourth down, the pass to Mooney was broken up again. Turnover on downs.
A carry, a first down on a penalty, and Charbonnet for six yards. A long Velus Jones Jr. run was called back thanks to holding. Jones then picked up a few yards before turning it into a first down and major gain. Jones got a few yards, and then Drew Lock fell on a fumbled snap.
