Another issue:Atlanta Falcons had sad news.
Falcons drop another close one; they don’t appear to be able to break out of this annoying pattern.
ATLANTA (AP) — For the Atlanta Falcons, the day was summed up on the last play.
Really, the whole season.
In the last minute, Desmond Ridder saw Drake London break loose over the middle and delivered a pass right on the numbers, giving him one last chance to salvage a victory that had been stolen.
London was smothered by Tampa Bay defenders three yards short of the end zone as the clock ran out, allowing the Buccaneers to win 29–25 on Sunday.
“It is evident that we did not win the game,” Ridder remarked, “but we should have.”
The Falcons led the NFC South going into the game with a.500 record. Atlanta let a chance to seize more ground in the division race slip away.
Despite throwing for a career-high 347 yards, Ridder committed two key errors in the first half that allowed Tampa Bay to score nine points.
With four weeks left in the regular season, the Falcons, Buccaneers, and New Orleans Saints are all tied for first place in the weakest division in the league at 6-7.
Even though there is still a chance for a wild card, the playoff spot will most likely be awarded winner-take-all to the division winner regardless of record.
According to running back Tyler Allgeier, “it’s a roller coaster.” That’s the nature of this game. There are plenty of highs and plenty of lows.
Throughout the season, the Falcons have balanced between winning and losing eight of the thirteen games by a combined 25 points. They are 4-4 in those games, failing to overcome the streakiness that has dogged head coach Arthur Smith’s three years in charge.
It’s a pattern that gets increasingly annoying for a team that hasn’t qualified for the postseason or had a winning campaign since 2017.
“We managed to win because we executed some plays in the late stages,” stated Smith, whose record as a Falcons coach dropped to 20-27. Sadly, they managed to make one more play than we did. However, there were lots of chances.
There were, in fact.
The Falcons overcame a 19-10 deficit after the team struggled offensively for much of the game, drew loud jeers from the home crowd, and had kicker Younghoe Koo, who is usually dependable, miss two field goals.
With just two regular starters due to injuries, the offensive line was a makeshift unit behind which Ridder led two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter.
It appeared as though Atlanta would end up defeating the two-time defending division champions in the playoff race and go on to record its first three-game winning streak since 2019 when Ridder defied a Tampa Bay defender to score on a 6-yard bootleg with 3:23 left.
Even though Baker Mayfield only completed three of seven passes, Tampa Bay responded with a 12-play, 75-yard touchdown drive.
Rachaad White gained the first down with a 2-yard run, which included a recovery of his own fumble at the conclusion of the play, but the Falcons missed a defensive stop that would have sealed the victory on fourth-and-1 from the Buccaneers 47.
When Tampa Bay faced a third-and-10 from the Falcons 47, Atlanta looked to be in good shape once more. However, Mayfield and Chris Godwin connected for a 32-yard pass, which was the Bucs’ longest play from scrimmage during the entire game.
With two plays left and the Falcons concentrating on Godwin and Mike Evans, wide receiver Cade Otton escaped safety Richie Grant’s grasp to catch an 11-yard touchdown pass with 31 seconds left.
The Falcons deserve credit for their quick progress down the field, which gave them a chance to win.
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