"But that's not what happened, of course. What happened was the defense putting on a masterclass performance in the first half, shutting out Matthew Stafford and that high-powered offense entirely along the way. They sacked him, harried him, and picked him off three times, one from Jessie Bates and two from Xavier Watts. The passing game was sad, frankly, but a record-breaking Bijan Robinson ensured that didn't matter all that much, as he scored two touchdowns, broke off a 93 yard run,"
"Zane Gonzalez shook off a blocked field goal and hit two clutch 50-plus yarders, a 56-yarder and the game-deciding 51-yarder as the clock ran down. The Falcons needed a little luck, but they helped themselves with some strong coverage on the game's final drive. Under the bright lights, it was enough to beat one of the NFL's best teams, and to extend Atlanta's winning streak to three games in a row."
"It should have sewn up the division for the Falcons, if not for bewildering blowouts at the hands of the Panthers and Dolphins, missed kicks that ruined late chances against the Buccaneers and Patriots, and one infuriating, listless loss to the Jets. Win even one of those games and you're in the playoffs, but instead the Falcons only found themselves when it was too late."
Atlanta's defense dominated the first half, shutting out Matthew Stafford, recording sacks and forcing three interceptions. Jessie Bates and Xavier Watts each produced turnovers. Bijan Robinson delivered a record-breaking effort with two touchdowns, a 93-yard run and 195 rushing yards while leading the team in receptions. Zane Gonzalez recovered from a blocked attempt to make a 56-yard field goal and a game-deciding 51-yarder as time expired. The victory extended Atlanta's winning streak to three games. Prior blowout losses, missed kicks and late-season inconsistency left playoff positioning and the team's future uncertain.
Read at The Falcoholic
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]