FalconAlley Football

Another Great HALF of Atlanta Falcons Football

Atlanta Falcons 27/Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31

December 20, 2020

Article by Allison Smith, Photos Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

On the first play of the game, Matt Ryan hands to Todd Gurley for a 1-yard loss. On 2^nd and 11, Brandon Powell caught the ball, but was immediately stopped. On 3^rd and 9, Ryan finds Gurley for the first down reception. From the 36, Ito Smith comes in and finds a seam on the left side for a 5-yard gain. On 2^nd down, Ryan hits Hayden Hurst who stretches for the first down, but the refs mark him 1 yard short. On the 3^rd and 1, Ryan finds Calvin Ridley crossing the field at the 40, then Ridley goes for anther 8 yards. From the Tampa Bay 32, Ryan finds Russell Gage now in the middle of the field and Gage goes to the 5-yard line. On first and goal, Ryan in the shotgun, easily finds Gage in the left edge of the end zone for a TOUCHDOWN.

With 10:34 to go in the first quarter, Falcons lead 7/0.

Tampa Bay starts on their own 25 and a quick throw to Antonio Brown at the line goes for another 6 yards. On 2^nd down, Tom Brady is under pressure but finds the tight end for a 14-yard gain, taken out of bounds by Foye Oluokun. From the 45, Brady drops back, looking deep, but throws it short out of bounds. Brady hands off to Leonard Fournette who is immediately met hard by Keanu Neal, Fournette circles around behind the line and is finally taken down by Sherrod Neasman and Neal. On 3^rd and 18, Brady finds LeShaun McCoy or a 14-yard gain where he is stopped short of the first down by Deion Jones. Powell fair catches the punt at the 10.

On the first play of their second possession, the Falcons hand off to Brian Hill for a single yard. From the shotgun, Ryan hits Powell for a short gain along the left side for a 3-yard gain. On 3^rd and 6 from the 14, Ryan is pressured, then decides to run, not only for the first down, but up to the 30 for a 16-yard gain along the right sideline. On play action, Ryan finds a wide-open Luke Stocker on the right side for a big first down of 25 yards. On the Buccaneers side of the field, Stocker cannot haul the pass in. On 2^nd and 10, Hill gets buried behind the line of scrimmage and a 5-yard loss. Gurley is back in for the 3^rd and 14, on a 4-man rush, Ryan hits Gurley, short of the first down marker. The punt goes to the 7 and is returned for a couple of yards.

Fournette goes up the middle for a yard where he is met by Allen Bailey. Brady passes short to Cameron Brate for 8 yards where he is met by Oluokun and Jones. On 3rd and 1 from the 21, a pitch to Fournette goes for the first down along the far right side, pushed out by Isaiah Oliver. From the 23, Fournette goes up the middle again, being pulled backwards by Neal. On 2nd and 9, Brady throws to the line to Scotty Miller, who is immediately stopped by Oliver. On 3^rd and 7, blitz coming, Brady throws toward Brown who is tightly covered by Kendall Sheffield and the ball falls to the ground. From the 26, Ryan cannot make the completion to Gage.

End of Q1 – Falcons 7/Buccaneers 0.

Ryan has the ball tipped before it can reach Gage. On 3^rd and 10, from the shotgun, Ryan throws downfield just over Ridley along the sideline. He leaves the field holding his midsection as Sterling Hofrichter punts 48 yards to the 26.

Brady begins with an incompletion to Rob Gronkowski. Second down, Mike Evans hauls in the reception and is immediately stopped by Sheffield. On 3^rd and 3, Jones goes behind the line and sacks Brady with Grady Jarrett inches away, an 8-yard loss. A 3 and out for the Bucs and a punt to the Falcons’ 35.

Deion Jones Sacks Tom Brady – Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

Ryan finds Hill at the 40 for a quick reception. On 2^nd down, Ryan hands to Hill who goes up the middle for a couple of yards. On 3^rd and 2, from the shotgun, Ryan hands to Smith who finds a hole and 3 yards for the first down. Ryan changes the play at the line and has the pass intended for Powell tipped at the line of scrimmage. Hill gets the call again for no gain on the left side. On 3^rd and 10, Keith Smith gets the reception and gains 8 yards. On 4^th and 2 across midfield, Ryan rolls to the right and finds Gage open for the first down for 7 yards. On the Tampa 39, Ryan fakes the handoff, looks at two receivers, then hits K. Smith again for 13 yards. Ryan finds Laquon Treadwell for 14 yards. From the 12, Ryan fakes to Hill and finds an open Ridley in the front corner of the end zone for another touchdown. Ridley made a move in the end zone to escape his defender and get open as the ball was released.

With 7:48 to go in the half, Falcons 14/Buccaneers 0.

Tampa Bay begins on their own 25 and Brady’s pass falls incomplete. Second down, Brady finds Chris Godwin, Oliver pulls the ball out, but the Bucs recover. First down from the 41, Ke’shaun Vaughn goes for 3 yards. Brady finds Gronk, right at the first down marker, shoved out by Neal. Brady under pressure, drops back, but Godwin cannot make the catch. On second down, Evans makes the reception along the sideline with AJ Terrell shoving him out of bounds at the marker. With the blitz coming, lead by Oluokun, Brady releases the ball into the sideline. Vaughn gets tripped up and gains a couple of yards up the middle. On 3^rd and 9, Neasman zips up the middle and sacks Brady for a 9-yard loss. On 4^th and 18, the Bucs punt to the 11.

Ryan begins with a 2-yard pass to Ridley. From the shotgun, Ryan hands off to Smith for a 3-yard gain. On 3^rd down, seeing no coverage on the outside on Ridley, Ryan makes the completion for 7 yards.

2 Minute Warning

From the 23, Ryan throws to a wide-open Ridley at the 37. Ito Smith with the block to give Ryan time. Another reception by Ridley, for 18 yards into Tampa Bay territory. Ryan’s next pass is tipped at the line. Smith gets the reception of 5 yards near the sideline. The blitz is picked up, Ryan finds Gage crossing the field for 15 yards. A scrambling Ryan is able to find Hurst for 12 yards down to the 13. The Falcons take a time out. Gage is being looked at on the sideline – ribs. Ryan throws to Blake behind the line of scrimmage. Falcons take another time out with 33 seconds to go in the half. On 2^nd and 11, Ryan drops back, flushed from the pocket and has to throw it out of the end zone. On 3^rd and 11 from the 13, Ryan’s pass to Gage is knocked away in the end zone. Younghoe Koo kicks the 32-yard field goal.

On the kickoff, the Buccaneers return the ball to the 18. Jaedon Graham on the stop and is injured on the play. Brady takes a knee.

At half, Falcons 17/Buccaneers 0

The Buccaneers begin on their own 20. Brady starts with a 20-yard pass to Brown, who is stopped by Oliver. An incompletion to Evans is followed by a 14-yard reception by Brate at midfield and the first down. Fournette pushes through the middle for 9 yards. Fournette gets the next run along the left side for 4 yards stopped by Neasman. Then, Brady lobs it downfield to Evans for 32 yards, he is stopped at the 1 by Neal. Fournette goes in for the touchdown.

With 11:28 to go in the 3^rd, Falcons 17/Buccaneers 7.

Under pressure, Ryan steps up and able to find an open Ridley for 13 yards. From the 38, Ryan hands to Smith who gains 2 yards up the middle. Ryan drops back after the fake and throws on a rope to Ridley flying out of bounds, one foot down, one foot drag, a 28 yard reception. Smith gets a big lead block and zooms for 7 yards along the right side. Smith runs up the right side, turns, catches the ball and gains 4 yards behind a big Matt Gono block. Ryan finds an open Gage for another 14 yards. On first and goal from the 7, Gurley is in and Ryan finds a tightly covered Hurst in the end zone for the touchdown.

With 7:34 to go in the 3^rd, Falcons 24/Buccaneers 7.

From the 25, Brady throws behind Gronkowski. Brady is successful to Gronkowski for 5 yards, shoved out of bounds by Neal. On 3^rd and 5, Brady drops back and under a 3-man rush, Evans makes the 26-yard reception. Next, Brady finds Fournette who out moves Terrell and is taken out by Oluokun and Jarrett. Fournette rushes for no gain, stopped by Jacob Tuioti-Mariner. On 2nd and 10, Brady is under pressure by Jarrett and Jones, he points for Evans to come back and Evans makes the reception at the 4. With Jaylinn Hawkins in tight coverage, Brown cannot make the touchdown reception. On 2^nd down, Godwin makes the touchdown reception.

With 3:44 left in the 3^rd quarter, Falcons 24/Buccaneers 14

After the fake hand off to Hill, Ryan drops back and throws up to Hill for a 4-yard gain. With time, Ryan throws incomplete to Ridley crossing the with the inroute. An incompletion out of bounds on 3^rd down forces a quick punt.

From their own 24, the Buccaneers’ first pass falls incomplete. Second down, Brady finds Gronkowski who is tightly covered by Oluokun for 17 yards. Another incompletion, going for Tyler Johnson, but Terrell knocks the ball away. Blitz coming, Brady finds Miller wide open, who is hit by Jarrett (who was rushing the passer) forcing the fumble that is recovered by Jones. Jarrett is pressing the offensive lineman, as soon as the ball goes by, he turns toward the ball carrier. The referees decide his knee was down, the Falcons challenge. The play is confirmed and the Falcons lose a time out and the challenge. An incompletion to Evans is negated by a “hands to the face” and a PI by Terrell. Both penalties are accessed for 28 yards. First and 10 at the 17, Brady finds Fournette wide open in the flat for 8 yards. Second and 2 at the 9, Brady’s pass is complete to Brown for the first down, but not the touchdown. Terrell slows Brown up and Oliver saves the touchdown. At the 1, Gronkowski can’t haul in the pass, but gets another PI. On first down from the half yard line, Fournette takes it in for another touchdown.

First and 10 from the 25, Ryan hands to Hill for a 3-yard loss.

End of the 3^rd quarter, Falcons 24/Buccaneers 21.

On 2^nd and 12, Gage cannot make the reception thrown slightly behind him. Ryan drops back and passes to Stocker at the line. There is another penalty for movement and the Falcons punt. And there is another penalty on the punt. After Tyler Hall was blocked in the back, he hit the returner with his helmet. Offsetting. Still 4^th and 16, Falcons will punt again. On the re-punt, Barner gets a 21-yard return to the 49.

Brady’s pass to Fournette is incomplete. A 5-yard completion to McCoy who is stopped by Oluokun. Oliver is injured on the play, Hall in for Oliver. On 3^rd and 6 from the Falcons’ 46, Evans is wide open for the easy first down at the 35. Brady passes to Godwin for 9 yards, stopped by Hall and Oluokun. A side pass to Brown goes for 13 yards, shoved out of bounds by Hall. From the 13, Brady throws out of end zone over Gronkowski who is covered by Oluokun. Quick throw to Miller at the line, Terrell stops Miller after a 4-yard gain. On 3^rd and 6, Brady fires incomplete to Gronkowski, covered by Terrell.

With just over 11 to play, game is tied at 24.

Ito Smith Pushing Through – Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

First play is an 11-yard reception by Keith Smith. From the 36, Ridley is wide open again, makes the reception and gains 34 yards, 15 after the catch. Ito Smith picks up 4 yards. Ryan fakes to Smith, then looks to Ridley in the end zone, but the defender gets a hand on the ball to knock it incomplete. Ryan is quickly sacked on 3^rd down. On 4^th and 14, Koo comes on to kick a 52-yard field goal.

With 8:22 to go in the game, Falcons take back the lead 27/Buccaneers 24.

From the 22, Brady finds Brate in the middle of the field, big hit by Neal stops him, after an 18-yard gain. Fournette gains one yard, stopped by Jones and Deadrin Senat. On 2^nd and 9 from the 41, Godwin makes the reception and gains 13 yards, pushed out by Jones. Brady then finds Brown for a 46-yard touchdown reception over Hall.

With 6:19 to go in the game, Falcons 27/Buccaneers 31.

From the 25, under pressure, Ryan throws to Hurst behind the line of scrimmage who is tackled for even more of a loss. On 2^nd and 12, Ryan drops back under a 4-man rush, he goes long for Gage, but the ball is too long, just off his fingertips. On 3^rd down, Ryan is sacked, again. Hofrichter kicks from inside the endzone for 57 yards.

Fournette easily gets the first down and is stopped at the 44-yad line by Jones, Neasom, and others. Fournette is stopped for a single yard gain by Jones. After the play fake, Brady meets Jarrett again. On 3^rd and 16, after the Falcons final timeout (wasted one with a challenge), McCoy is 3 yards short of the first down.

Grady Jarrett After Reacquainting Himself with Tom Brady on the Sack – Jarrett sacked Brady 3 times in SB51

After the punt, the Falcons begin on their own 12-yard line with 2:44 to go and no time outs. Ryan throws incomplete toward Powell. On 2^nd and 10, Ryan is under pressure and steps on an offensive lineman and falls to the ground. Then throws in the area of Hurst. On 4^th and 16 from the 6, Ryan throws to Ridley at the 20, but needs the 22. Buccaneers take over at the 22.

Fournette goes for 2 yards, then another 6 and another 2. They come out to measure for the first down or not. The ruling is that it is a first down, while the chains, the announcers and Raheem Morris disagree. The Bucs are “given” the first down and can take a knee to win the game.

Falcons 27/Buccaneers 31.

#RiseUp

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Atlanta Falcons Sacked Out in New Orleans

November 22, 2020

Article by Allison Smith

Photos Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

Atlanta Falcons 9 at New Orleans Saints 24

The Falcons take on the Saints for the first time of the 2020 season, two weeks removed from their hosting of the Saints in Atlanta.

Inactives for the day, recently added to active roster, Kurt Benkert. Qadree Ollison is back to inactive, along with the still healing Deadrin Senat. Calvin Ridley was questionable, but is active, as is the hamstring hampered Julio Jones.

The New Orleans Saints win the toss and defer the ball. They kick to the Atlanta Falcons.

From the 25, the Falcons begin with a fake to Todd Gurley, then hits Gurley at the 28-yard line. Matt Ryan changes the play at the line, fakes to Gurley again, then finds Calvin Ridley for 42 yards. Ryan finds Olamide Zaccheaus for another first down of 16 yards. Gurley gets the call for a 2-yard run along the right side. From the Saints 14, Ryan throws to Keith Smith for 4 yards. On 3^rd and 4, Ryan cannot connect with Hayden Hurst, who was covered by 3 defenders. Younghoe Koo successfully kicks the field goal and gives the Falcons the lead.

First and 10 from the 21, Taysom Hill passes to Michael Thomas for an 8-yard gain, stopped by Deion Jones. Latavius Murray goes for a yard forcing a 3^rd and 1. Grady Jarrett and Allen Bailey combine for a sack of Hill. The Saints punt to Brandon Powell at the 32.

Before the Falcons snap the ball, Chris Lindstrom has a false start and backs the Falcons up to the 27. On 1^st and 15, Ryan flips it out to Powell who gains 3 yards along the right side. Under a 4-man rush, Ryan finds Russell Gage for 1 yard and is immediately stopped. On 3^rd and 11, Ryan is sacked by Cam Jordan. Sterling Hofrichter punts to the 30-yard line, where the special teams group ensures he gains to yards.

Alvin Kamara gets the ball for a quick 6-yard gain, stopped by Jarrett. On 2^nd down, Deonte Harris gets the ball for a big 24-yard gain around the left side. Keanu Neal finally knocked him out of bounds. Under pressure Hill takes the ball himself and gains 4 yards before sliding to avoid the Neal hit. Kamara goes up the middle for 4 yards up the middle. On 3^rd and 2 Hill throws toward Thomas, but he has been knocked down for Darqueze Dennard. Automatic first down. From the 23, Hill drops back and finds Adam Trautman for the first down, eventually stopped by Foye Oluokun. From the 4, wild cat, Kamara gets the direct snap and gains a few yards. The Saints call a time out. Hill drops back and throws into the end zone, Mykal Walker nearly made the pick. Walker read the play perfectly and got a single hand on the ball. ON 3^rd down, Thomas gets the ball but Dennard hits him immediately at the line of scrimmage. The Saints kick the field goal to tie the game.

At 2:47 to go in the 1^st quarter, Falcons 3/Saints 3.

Ryan scrambles for no gain. On 2^nd and 10, Ryan, from the shotgun, under a blitz, finds Julio Jones for a 17-yards. From the 42, Gurley gets the call, after a stutter step, he finds a 7-yard hole. Gurley is behind the block of Jones. Gurley breaks tackles to cross midfield for the first down. Brian Hill gets the call from the backfield and gains 5 yards along the right side.

End of Q1. Tied at 3.

On 2^nd and 6 from the Saints 41, Ryan cannot find a receiver. On 3^rd and 6, Ryan is pressured and dumps off to Smith. A flag on the Saints for holding moves the Falcons up 5 yards and provides the automatic first down. From the 36, Ryan is in trouble, throws the ball that is tipped at the line. Gurley goes up the middle for 3 yards. Third and 7, another incompletion toward Hurst, under pressure, Ryan throws behind Hurst. Another Koo field goal.

With 13:56 to go in the half, Falcons lead 6/3.

Hill finds Thomas for a 26-yard gain. The biggest play against AJ Terrell this season. Walker is injured on the play. Near midfield, Hill finds Thomas for 9 yards. Kamara gains 6 yards for the first down, then the Saints get a free 5 on a hold in the defense. Hill cannot connect with Thomas on the next play. On 2^nd and 10, Hill has all day, but cannot find an open receiver, Charles Harris tackles him for a 3-yard loss. On 3^rd and 13, Hill throws an incomplete screen to Kamara. Will Lutz hits the goal post on the field goal attempt.

From the 44, Hill goes up the middle for 4 yards. On 2^nd and 6, Ryan changes the play at the line, Powell gets the ball, but the play is called dead on a penalty on Luke Stocker. Ridley makes the 8-yard reception. Ryan is sacked on 3^rd down for a 6-yard loss. Jake Matthews gives up the sack. Hofrichter on for the punt that falls into the end zone.

From the 25, Hill hands off to Murray for 2 yards. Hill’s next pass is incomplete. Hill finds Harris for a yard gain, but is met hard by Terrell. Isaiah Oliver is being tackled by two blockers, giving Terrell the space to make the play.

After the punt, the Falcons begin on their own 30. Ryan flips back to Hill, who cannot find any space along the edge. From the shotgun, the draw to Gurley for 2 yards. On 3^rd down, Gage makes the reception for 11 yards. The next pass is to Gage as well for 17 yards along the sideline. A quick 3-yard gain by Gurley. On 2^nd down, Ryan fakes to Gurley and has the ball knocked out of Christian Blake’s face by the defender. On 3^rd and 7, the Saints call their second time out. Jones has been missing for quite a while and is back on the field. On the 3^rd down, with Jones in the slot, Ryan drops back and has the ball tipped at the line and falls incomplete. Koo kicks a successful 52-yard field goal.

With 4:31 to go in the half, Falcons 9, Saints 3.

The Saints bring the kickoff out of the end zone, but met by the Falcons special teams at the 20. Hill fakes to Kamara, under pressure finds Thomas for 16 yards. Terrell in tight coverage and makes the stop. Kamara gains 7 yards. on 2^nd down, Hill lobs the ball to the 15 where Emmanuel Sanders makes the reception. Sanders rolls, gets back up, then Dennard knocks the ball out and Neal comes up with the fumble. After a booth review, Neal had tapped Sanders while he was down originally. Frist and 10 at the Falcons 13. Kamara takes the direct snap and goes for 2 yards. After a fake handoff, Hill goes along the right side with Jacob Tuioti-Mariner in hot pursuit, making the tackle with Blidi Wreh-Wilson.

Two Minute Warning.

From the Falcons 9, on 3^rd and 6, Hill finds Jared Cook right at the first down marker, stopped at the line by Oluokon and Allen. Atlanta takes a time out, meanwhile, the spot of the stop is under review. The play stands and is a first down at the 3. Hill hands to Kamara who goes in for the touchdown.

With 1:46 until the half, Falcons 9, Saints 10.

From the 25, Ryan drops back and finds Ridley at the 32. Ryan finds Ridley again at the 43 for a first down. Ryan is under pressure and throws near Ridley, incomplete. A flag is thrown on the defense for holding, a first down and 5 yards. From the 48, Ryan drops back and lobs the ball down field for Ridley, but the ball goes out of bounds. Ryan finds Hill over the right side for 2 yards, another defensive hold for another 5 yards and first down. From the Saints 47, Ryan hits Gage for an 8-yard gain. Ryan throws toward Blake, where he is covered/blocked by a defender. The ball falls incomplete. On 3^rd down, Ryan is sacked again by Jordan. The loss knocks the Falcons out of field goal range. The Falcons call a time out with 3 seconds remaining. Ryan throws to the end zone and he is intercepted by Marcus Williams who makes it to the 20-yard line. Hill is called for a horse collar, the Saints are provided 15 yards and a free play. The Saints decline the penalty and go in at half.

Half Time – Falcons 9/Saints 10

The Saints begin on their own 20. Kamara tries to go up the middle, for no gain. Hill draws Steven Means offsides. On 2^nd and 4, Hill rifles the ball to Thomas at the 41. Hill quickly hits Thomas for 9 yards. Kamara gains the first down crossing midfield. From the Falcons 46, Hill finds Murray who breaks tackles and gets down to the 21. Murray goes up the middle for another quick first down. From the 10, Hill has all day, finally runs the ball himself and is knocked out of bounds after 3 yars by Dennard. Hill’s pass is tipped high by Falcons defense. On third down, Thomas makes the reception, but is in the arms of Terrell and stopped there. On 4^th and goal from the 2, the Saints beef up the line, then Hill runs the ball in for a touchdown.

With 9:11 to go in the 3^rd quarter, Falcons 9/Saints 17.

Beginning on the 25, Ryan fakes to Gurley and is sacked. On 2^nd and 17, Ryan throws to Gage for a 4-yard gain. A flag is on Atlanta for illegal formation, but declined. On 3^rd and 13, Ryan has his foot grabbed by a defender and is sacked for the 6^th time today. On the 4^th down punt, there is movement and Hofrichter kicks from the end zone.

The Saints begin on their own 43. Hill drops back and hits Sanders for the touchdown. There was a hold – complete bear hug on an offensive lineman calling the play back and backing the Saints up. On 2^nd and 20 from the 33, Hill hands to Murray who goes up the middle for 7 yards. Hill finds Thomas for a huge 19-yard gain and first down. Immediately stopped by Allen. From the Falcons 41, Kamara gains a yard. Hill is sacked quickly by Jones for an 11-yard loss. Tuioti-Mariner and John Cominsky were closing. Hill connects with Sanders for a short gain and the Saints punt to the 12.

Gurley goes left for a couple of yards, then is stopped at the line. On 3^rd and 7, Ryan’s pass to Gage is knocked out in good coverage by the defender. Another Hofrichter punt from the edge of the end zone.

Saints begin on their own 47. Hill throws out of bounds toward Cook, Oluokun is called for PI. Hill throws the same pass, this time caught by Cook under coverage by Kendall Sheffield. The play is called back due to a hold on the offense. It is first and 20 from the 45. Murray goes 11 yards. Jarrett forcing a quick pass by Hill. Hill finds Sanders for a 6-yard gain.

End of 3^rd quarter, Falcons 9/Saints 17.

Hill runs for the first down. Kamara finds a few yards up the middle. Murray gets the first down up the middle. Jarrett is tackled and taken down from behind, opening the hole for Hill to run for the 20-yard touchdown.

With 12:41 to go in the game, Falcons 9/Saints 24.

Powell brings the kickoff out, rams into his own teammates and is stopped at the 17. Ryan drops back and finds Blake at the 20. An incompletion toward Ridley. On 3^rd and 7, Ryan is sacked again, by Jordan, again. Falcons punt to the 35.

After AJ Terrell Forces a Fumble. Foye Oluokun Recovers

Kamara goes 12 yards before Oluokun makes the stop. Murray goes for 2 yards before meeting Jarrett. On 2^nd and 8, Sanders gains the first down. Murray gains no yards on the next run. Hill makes a big run, Terrell pops the ball out and Oluokun recovers the fumble.

Ito Smith gets the first play after the turnover and goes for 5 yards. Ryan nearly throws an interception on an attempt to Stocker. On 3^rd and 5, Jones is back on the field, Ryan is nearly sacked, but gets the ball out to Gage for the first down. Ryan has back to back passes to Gage knocked incomplete. On 3^rd down…..Ryan….sacked….again. On 4^th and 13 from the 25, Ryan finds Jones at the 50 for a first down. Another pass to Gage is knocked out of his hands. Jones is limping on the sideline and sits down to be looked at again. Hill goes up the middle for 7 yards. Pass to Ridley is picked off at the 36.

With 5 minutes remaining in the game, the Saints continue to run the ball and the Falcons take back to back time outs.

Under a minute to go in the game, the Falcons get the ball back just outside their endzone. The first two passes are to Ridley. Both very contested. The first was a leaping catch of 18 yards, the next an incompletion. The incomplete pass to Gage is reviewed and the incompletion is upheld. Ryan finds Gage on the next play for a 9-yard reception. As time runs out, Blake makes the 15-yard reception.

#RiseUp

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Falcons Defense Wins the Final Stand

Atlanta Falcons 25 at Carolina Panthers 17

October 29, 2020

Article by Allison Smith

Photos Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

Inactives of note this week are Takk McKinley, still with the groin injury. Marlon Davidson and Jordan Miller and late scratch Ito Smith, which I can only assume is because LB Edmond Robinson was flexed to the active roster. For the Carolina Panthers, Christian McCaffrey will not play.

It is a balmy night in Charlotte, NC, where remnants of the tropical storm Zeta went through earlier in the day. At game time, it started to drizzle.

The Falcons will receive the ball to start. From the 25, Matt Ryan drops back to throw to Julio Jones at the 49. Play action again, Ryan finds Jones again for another 27 yards along the sideline. Jones comes off the field, Hayden Hurst is in motion. A fake to Todd Gurley and a pass to Hurst at the 12. Gurley gets the ball for a single yard game around the left end. In the shotgun, Ryan passes to Calvin Ridley who makes a move away from the defenders for a 7-yard gain. On 3^rd and 2, Gurley gets the call up the middle for inches short of the first down. With 11 minutes to go in the first quarter, the Falcons take a time out. The offense leaves the field and Younghoe Koo kicks a 20-yard field goal.

With 11:14 to go in the first quarter, Falcons lead 3/0.

The Panthers begin on their own 25. Teddy Bridgewater throws toward DJ Moore who cannot haul it in as Kendall Sheffield and Keanu Neal combine to knock the ball out. Sheffield is hurt on the play, as Neal hit him in the side/back. On 2^nd and 10, Bridgewater fires to Robby Anderson for 5 yards. Neal was closing on Bridgewater as he released the ball. Hit as he throws (by Grady Jarrett), the pass falls incomplete as Isaiah Oliver is called for PI, giving the Panthers the yards and a first down. Chased out of bounds by Dante Fowler, then tapped on the sideline by Deion Jones, Bridgewater is given another free first down. Across the 50, Mike Davis gets the ball for a 7-yard run. A quick pass to Davis gains the first down and more. He escapes Neal and is finally stopped by Jarrett. From the 29, Davis escapes all tackles, spins and switches field, lowers his shoulder and gains another first down, finally brought down by 3 Falcons. Curtis Samuel takes the next handoff in for an easy touchdown.

With 8:14 to go in the first quarter, the Panthers lead 7/3.

From the 25, Ryan hands off to Gurley who gains 4 yards. On 2^nd down, Ryan finds Jones for another 13 yards. From the 42, Ryan hands to Gurley who goes 3 yards along the left side. Ryan changes the play, takes the snap and finds an open Jones in the middle near the 35-yard line for a 20-yard gain. Gurley and Hurst blocking well along the right side to give Ryan time to find Jones. Gurley is stopped at the line of scrimmage. Ryan drops back, flings the ball toward Hurst as the blitz is closing. On 3^rd and 10, Ryan takes another time out. Then, the Panthers take a time out. Back on 3^rd and 10, Kaleb McGary jumps and moves the Falcons back to the 41. On the 3^rd and 15, Ryan finds Ridley in double to triple coverage for the first down and an extra yard. Brian Hill gets the call and goes 12 yards along the right side for a quick first down. At the 13, Ryan throws in the end zone for Jones, who cannot make the reception. No PI was called for the defender tugging and tapping Jones. Ryan throws for Jones in the corner of the end zone with two defenders in his face. On 3^rd and 10, jones is off the field, Ryan is sacked. Koo comes on for another field goal.

With 3:00 to go in the first quarter, the Panthers lead 7/6.

During the kick return Keith Smith late hits the returner, so the Panthers will begin at their own 37. Bridgewater drops back and finds Anderson near the sideline, he escapes AJ Terrell’s tackle. Before the pass was thrown, there was a defensive hold, but it was declined. Jarrett gets hands on Davis’ ankles and slows him enough for the rest of the defense to get him down behind the lin. On 2^nd and 14, Jarrett and Terrell converge to stop Davis at the original line of scrimmage. On 3^rd and 9, Bridgewater is sacked by Oliver and Foye Oluokun for a loss of 12 yards. Oluokun came straight up the middle, while Oliver was along the left side. The quarter ends before the punt.

End of Q1: Panther 7 Falcons 6

The Falcons punt to Brandon Powell who fair catches at the 17. Ryan drops back and is picked off by Dante Jackson who is covering Ridley.

The Panthers begin on the Falcons 40. Davis is brought down by Oluokun after a 6-yard gain. ON 2^nd and 4, Davis gets the ball again, along the right side this time, still stopped by Oluokun for a 2-yard gain. Bridgewater changes the play, takes the snap, passes to Samuel along the sideline, gains the first down and is knocked out by Neal. Bridgewater and Davis with the flea flicker, finds an open Samuel in the end zone. The Falcons were in zone coverage and Ricardo Allen could not catch up and knock the ball down, although he got a finger on the ball.

With 12:40 to go until half, Panthers 14/Falcons 6.

Hayden Hurst Making a Big Reception –
Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons/Mark Brown

Again at their own 25, Hill goes along the right side for 8 yards. On 2^nd and 2, Ryan gives to Hill again who goes up the middle for a 4-yard gain and first down. From the 37, Ryan finds Hurst who has to pick the ball off the ground. Before Ryan can snap the ball, the Panthers challenge the play. The play was kept. Hurst credited with the 18-yard pick up. Hill drops the next short pass. On 2^nd and 10, Hurst makes the standing reception of 8 yards where he is rocked by Shaq Thompson. Quadree Ollison in at running back. Ollison pushes through for the first down. Hill gains a yard on the next play. Ridley gains 19 yards on the next pass. Nine yards on the catch, 10 yards on the YAC. His ankles were twisted up by the defender and Ridley is down on the field. From the 14, Hill gets the call, Gurley is on the sideline still. On 2^nd and 9, Ryan scrambles and eventually goes into the edge of the end zone himself.

With 8:02 to go in the half, the Panthers lead is cut, Carolina 14/Atlanta 13.

Bridgewater finds Ian Thomas for a 21-yard gain, but paid for it as Jones was unblocked and leveled Bridgewater. The Panthers are on their own 46 and Samuel goes between the tackles for 9 yards and is stopped by Steven Means. Across midfield, Davis gains the first down, stopped by Neal. Bridgewater calls their final timeout of the half. Bridgewater scrambles way to his right and finally finds Anderson for a 4-yard gain. Davis pushes through the right side of the line for 3 yards. Samuel gets the handoff, Jarett gets through the double team and gets hands on Samuel to stop him on 3^rd down. The Panthers go for it on 4^th down. Bridgewater keeps the ball, tries to go around the edge, tries to stiff arm Oluokun, but he is stopped and shove out of bounds behind the line of scrimmage.

Falcons take over at their own 35. Ryan finds Russell Gage for the first time. Gage takes it from behind the line of scrimmage for 19 yards and a first down. Gurley is back on the field at running back. Across midfield, Ryan finds Christian Blake for 7 yards on the sideline. Hill is back in and gets the ball, makes a nice cut and is down at the 30, behind the blocking of McGary. From the 30, Ryan hands to Hill, but his stopped behind the line.

Two Minute Warning.

Gurley is back on the sideline, Jones is on the field. From the 30, Ryan finds Blake for 6 yards. Ryan scrambles and runs for a few yards, short of the first, but a flag is on the play, on defense. From the 16, Ryan throws to double covered Jones in the end zone, 42 Franklin knocks the ball up and out of Jones’ hands before his hands can close. On 2^nd and 10, Ryan is sacked. On 3^rd and 16, Ryan is nearly sacked, runs up 4 yards. Brian Burns easily spins off of Jake Matthews and nearly gets the sack. Koo makes another field goal.

At Halftime, Panthers 14/Falcons 16.

After the second half kickoff, the Panthers begin on their own 25. Bridgewater is under pressure and finally runs up for 8 yards. He finds Thomas for the first down, Neal stops him at the marker. Bridgewater is under pressure again, and outruns the Tyeler Davison and Fowler for 14 yards. At midfield, Davis gets the call, makes a couple of spin moves before Jarrett picks him up and lays him down. On 2^nd and 5, Bridgewater passes to Davis, Neal hits him so hard, the ball flies out, #92 grabbed it, then there was a pile of players from both sides. The play goes under review. The Booth determined there was no catch. Oluokun had penetration to force a bad throw and nearly ended up with the fumble recovery. It is 3^rd and 5 at the 46. Bridgewater hits Anderson, short of the first down where Terrell ensures he gains no yards after the catch. On 4^th and 2, the Panthers come on to punt, then change their minds and the offense returns to the field. Davis gets the call and Oluokon and Jarrett stop him behind the line.

Falcons begin on their own 43. Gurley is brought down way in the backfield by Tre Boston, for a loss of 4 yards. Ryan starts to run again, then sees Jones 23 yards down the field. From the Panthers 38, Ryan fakes the handoff and passes to Smith, who cannot hold onto the ball, at the line of scrimmage. On 2^nd and 10, Ryan hands to Gurley this time and he makes a move and crosses the first down marker. From the 27, Ryan hands to Gurley gain for 2 yards and another 2 yards. ON 3^rd and 6, Ryan sees the blitz and rushes to his right and he throws an incompletion. There was a hold by the defense for the defender holding and yanking the jersey of Blake downfield. The Falcons have a 1^st down on the 18. Hurst cannot haul in the pass. Gurley goes up the middle for a single yard. Ryan changes the play, takes the snap, and flips it to Gage crossing in the middle of the field, short of the first down marker. Koo makes the 30-yard attempt.

With 6:26 to go in the 3^rd quarter, Falcons lead 19/14.

The Panthers begin on their 31. Bridgewater sees the blitz coming, Jones closing and forcing an errant pass. Bridgewater finds Chris Manhertz and is stopped by Sheffield. Bridgewater goes long for Samuel, but overthrows him. Terrell in tight coverage. On 4^th down, the Panthers are charged with a delay of game and punt on 4^th and 9. It is a fake, a direct snap to Jeremy Chinn, who gains 28 yards. Davis cuts back for 3 yards. On 2^nd down, the pass is tipped at the line by Charles Harris. On 3^rd and 7 from the 37, Bridgewater is tripped by Fowler. He falls and is hit by two more Falcons. Bridgewater is down on the field. Harris is ejected for his late hit on Bridgewater once he was on the ground. From the 24, PJ Walker goes to the end zone to Anderson, Terrell in perfect coverage ensuring the ball cannot be caught. After the snap and hand off and reverse, Anderson gets back to the line of scrimmage with Oliver on the stop. On 3^rd and 7, the pass is high and incomplete. Joey Slye kicks the 39-yard field.

With 2:59 to play in the 3^rd, the Falcons lead is cut to 19/17.

From the 25, Ryan hands to Gurley who is tackled from behind by Chinn. Gurley immediately leaves the field. On 2^nd and 7, Ryan finds Hill just past the line of scrimmage. Ryan scrambles and runs again and gets 10 yards and a first down. From the 38, Hill finds a huge hole and gains 15 yards. Across midfield, the Falcons cause a neutral zone infraction and get a free 5 yards.

End of Q3: Falcons 19/Panthers 17.

Gurley finds 4 ½ yards. Play action and Ryan finds Hurst for 12 yards. Gurley leaps over one defender, then forced out by another after a single yard gain. Ryan finds Jones who is at the first down marker. Gurley hesitates, then gains 7 yards. Gurley jams and spins behind an Alex Mack and Smith block and gest down to the 5-yard line. On the next play, Gurley goes behind a James Carpenter and Smith block for the touchdown. Koo misses the extra point.

With 11:01 to go in the game, the Falcons lead 25/17. An 8-point game.

Bridgewater stays on the sidelines. Davis gets the handoff and goes for 8 yards, stopped finally by Jones. Walker hands to Davis again for a 12-yard first down, stopped by Terrell. An incomplete pass gives Bridgewater enough time to recover. On 2^nd and 10, he finds Anderson for a 5-yard gain where Blidi Wreh-Wilson and Oliver combine for a stop. On 3^rd and 5, Bridgewater throws to Samuel behind the line of scrimmage where Wreh-Wilson is immediately for the stop. The Panthers punt this time with the ball going out of bounds at the 5.

Blidi Wreh-Wilson Making a Big Stop on Curtis Samuel Photo Courtesy of Kyle Hess/Atlanta Falcons

Ryan hands to Hill who gains 2 yards. Ryan drops back and passes behind Hill who forces his way past the first down marker. From the 16, Hill runs into a wall, rolls off the pile and gains one yard. A flag for defensive holding moves the Falcons up 5 yards and provides a first down. From the 22, Hill gets the ball again, 3 yards along the left side. The Falcons call a timeout from the sideline. On 2^nd and 7 from the 25, with Hurst in motion, Ryan finds him at the 30 for a 5-yard gain. Ryan is sacked by Burns. A defender was holding Hurst and another first down. Ryan finds Jones again for 20 yards, down at the Panthers 45. Gurley is smashed behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of 4 yards, behind a missed McGary block. Ryan quick throws at the line to Gage, the ball pop ups, but no one catches it and it falls incomplete. Gurley returns to the field. On 3^rd and 14, Ryan tosses to Gurley who goes 5 yards before running out of bounds. Sterling Hoffrichter punts to the 5.

With 2:58 to go in the game, the Panthers are down by 8 and have 95 yards to go. DJ Moore gets the reception for a 13-yard gain and goes out of bounds to stop the clock. Bridgewater passes to Anderson for minimal gain, but there is a flag on the play. Fowler jumped offsides, moving the ball up 5 yards. On 1^st and 5 from the 23, Bridgewater sees the blitz and starts to run, Jones stops him after 3 yards. Oluokun had good pressure forcing Bridgewater out of the pocket. On 2^nd and 2, Bridgewater finds Thomas just past the marker and is stopped by Terrell.

Two Minute Warning

The Panthers have the ball at their own 32. The safeties are playing tight to the line of scrimmage, a blitz from Jones and Jarrett and Bridgewater throws towards a receiver. Bridgewater is sacked by Jones for a loss of 7. Jarrett was right behind him. The Panthers take their first time out. On 3^rd and 17, Bridgewater is hit as he throws and finds Moore for a 42-yard gain. The next pass is underthrown. From the Falcons 34 Bridgewater is scrambling and has to run out of bounds after a gain of 4. On 3^rd and 6, Bridgewater gets a delay of game call. But they claim the Panthers’ sideline called a time out first. Bridgewater drops back, throws a bomb to BLIDI WREH-WILSON. Wreh-Wilson leaped high in the air to make the grab and seal the game.

The offense takes the field to kneel down twice. In 2020, we didn’t even know that was still a thing.

#RiseUp

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Falcons Perfecting How to Lose Creatively

October 28, 2020

Article by Allison Smith

Photos Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

Even with the referees spotting the Lions 7 points early, the Falcons were close and the game went to the wire. Lesson not-learned, you cannot play Prevent Defense against a good, experienced quarterback. Todd Gurley accidently scored the go-ahead touchdown, but left too much time on the clock. Is that really Gurley’s fault? He knew the plan, you could see him try to stop, he didn’t know the hole would open up so quickly. Everyone can blame the loss on Gurley. I do not.

After the ensuing kickoff, the Lions had 6 actual plays that culminated in the scoring of their game-winning touchdown. Passes of 13, 22, and 29 yards before the 11-yard touchdown to tie the game. Tight end TJ Hockenson had the first reception and was headed out of bounds. The defense played it perfectly. Rookie AJ Terrell hits Hockenson and stops his movement with a shoulder to his stomach, forcing him to not be able to get out of bounds. Then, Hockenson tries to spin off, Terrell continues to hold on, long enough for Isaiah Oliver and Foye Oluokun to join and ensure an inbounds tackle. Precious seconds wound off the clock from Hockenson’s continued movement and the inbounds tackle. At this point, the Lions had used all of their timeouts on the Falcons’ last drive.

Yet still, the next two plays of over 20 yards a piece lead to the 3 seconds remaining, enough time for a touchdown play.

However, this was not the only causes for the loss. The keys to the loss on Sunday. The early game penalty providing an extra down and touchdown for the Lions. Late game, after the Lions uncharacteristically miss a field goal, Matt Ryan fumbles the ball and the Lions get the ball back at the same original spot, and 3 plays later, get that field goal back.

There were self-inflicted wounds. Untimely penalties. Giving up sacks at the wrong time. On a crucial defensive 3^rd and 1, the Falcons (technically) had 12 men on the field. Poor execution in the last two minutes of the first half, giving up a score. And after an 89-yard drive, on 4^th and 5, instead of going for the manageable field goal, the Falcons go for the first down and Ryan makes an ill-timed throw that is tipped by the defender. If Ryan’s throw to Ito Smith is accurate, it is a touchdown. If they kicked the field goal, 3 points on the board.

Detroit clearly had a better game plan defensively than Atlanta did offensively. Detroit forced Atlanta to have long drives, while eating up time, but not allowing big plays. Detroit was able to make those big plays, twelve of them as a matter of fact. Passes from 16 to 32 yards throughout the game. Matthew Stafford does not like check downs or the underneath, so when he drops back to throw, he’s going long. The Falcons playing their zone, was not working. When in man-to-man, the defense was much more successful. But, in the end, you cannot give up big yards on a scramble play near the end of game.

Once again, Clemson rookie Terrell was a stand out. While Terrell only had 4 tackles, he is always in good coverage and contesting passes, and had what should have been key to the game noted above. Keanu Neal seems to finally be back to 100% and was very physical and moving around the field. Neal led the team in tackles with 11 and a sack on Stafford. Another consistent standout was Oluokun who had 9 tackles and a pass defended. Kendall Sheffield finished with 6 tackles, Steven Means with 5, 1 for loss, Deion Jones had 4 tackles, 2 for loss, and a sack. Rookie Mykal Walker had 3 tackles and is really getting an eye for the pro game with his increased playing time. Grady Jarrett only had 2 tackles, but 4 quarterback hits and good pressure on the day.

Deion Jones and Mykal Walker combine for a tackle. Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons/Kyle Hess

Atlanta had another goal line stand Sunday, even with the referees helping the Lions, again. Jarrett was called for a roughing the passer hit, Jarrett tapped Stafford from behind, just as the ball was released and tried to help him not fall to the ground. The refs flagged the Falcons and gave the Lions 15 yards on an already successful play. At the goal line, Dante Fowler hard stopped Adrian Peterson before Peterson could score. After another questionable penalty, the Falcons were backed up from the 3 to the 1 1/2, but had the ball.

Then, the Falcons offense took the ball 98 yards for a touchdown. Detroit was playing cover two much of the day forcing the Falcons to run the ball. The Offensive struggled against the zone coverage, forcing Ryan to take the check downs and stuffing the run. Gurley had 23 rushes for 63 yards, one of 13 yards and 2 touchdowns. Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley did have long receptions of 28 and 27 yards, but all other receptions were under 20 yards. Jones caught 8 of 9 balls thrown his way for 97 yards, while Ridley caught 5 of 7 for 69 yards and a touchdown and 2-point conversion. Russell Gage left but came back after being listed as questionable, and caught 6 passes for 54 yards.

Hayden Hurst Making Guys Miss. Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons/Rob Foldy

On Tight Ends Day, Hayden Hurst had 6 receptions for 68 yards. Hurst getting more involved in the offense, making receptions, then speeding for additional yards is becoming an increasing asset to the offense. Both other tight ends, had no receptions, but both logged a penalty during the game.

This week, the Falcons lose by SCORING a touchdown. They lost on an onside kick, with no time on the clock, a backup quarterback scoring 3 touchdowns, allowing big comebacks. What is next? Don’t ask. There is a game on a short week, during a tropical storm.

#RiseUp

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Falcons Lose As Time Expires

Detroit Lions 23 at Atlanta Falcons 22

October 25, 2020

Article by Allison Smith

Photos Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons rolled out their third and final new jersey of the season. The red gradient jerseys. After the rain passed, the roof was opened. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s daughter Dr. Bernice King pulled the train horn to kick off the game while overlooking the field, painted with “Rise Up and Vote.”

The only item of note on the Inactive list this week is that with Takk McKinley back on the active roster, Deadrin Senat is back to the inactives. Jaylinn Hawkins is still inactive with an injury.

The Falcons receive the opening kickoff and begin on their own 18. Matt Ryan hands to Todd Gurley who finds no room running parallel to the line of scrimmage. On 2^nd and 9, Ryan is under pressure and throws a quick shot to Hayden Hurst, but he cannot haul the pass in. On 3^rd and 9, Ryan finds Hurst short of the marker, but he stumbles forward for the first down. From the 31, Julio Jones is in motion with Gurley in the backfield, he gets the call and rushes for 3 yards. Another Gurley run for short gain. Alex Mack is collapsed on the field under Gurley. Rookie Matt Hennessy comes on for Mack. On 3^rd and 5, Ryan cannot connect with Russell Gage for the first down and the Falcons punt.

Matt Stafford leads the Lions onto the field. On first down, Adrian Peterson finds a hole for a 7-yard gain and is stopped by Deion Jones. From the 31, Peterson gains no yards, as he is met by the whole line. On 3^rd and 4, Keanu Neal ensures the tight end cannot gain the 3 yards. The Lions punt to Brandon Powell as the ball rolls into the end zone.

Gurley is in the backfield, Ryan making adjustments at the line. Gurley gets a couple of yards. On 2^nd and 8, Ryan drops back, but quickly throws near laterally to Gage who loses two yards and is down, looking not good on the field. Gage is helped off the field. Powell comes in for Gage and Brian Hill is in at running back and gets the call for a 7-yard gain. Hofrichter back on to punt.

Stafford begins at the 29 and finds a wide-open TJ Hockenson for a 16-yard pick up. Stafford goes deep for former Falcon Marvin Hall, who is blanketed by rookie AJ Terrell and the ball is complete. On 2^nd and 10, Stafford gives to Peterson who quickly meets Foye Oluokun for a 1-yard gain. On 3^rd and 9 at the 46, Stafford from the shotgun, finds a wide-open Marvin Jones at the 31 of Atlanta. Zone defense is opening the offense up. A 23-yard pick up. D’Andre Swift rushes for 8 yards. Swift with the first down, breaking tackles and gaining 13 yards, where he is stopped by Ricardo Allen. Grady Jarrett stops Swift from scoring. On 2^nd and goal from the 7, Oluokun stops Jones from making the reception. On 3^rd and goal, Stafford scrambles and while looking for a receiver, doesn’t even see Terrell who lays him out. Terrell is called for roughing the passer. Swift scores a touchdown on the next play.

With 4:11, the Lions lead 7/0.

The Falcons begin at their own 18. A Gurley rush of 2 yards, then an incomplete to Julio Jones forces a third down. On 3^rd and 8, Ryan is under pressure and cannot connect with Powell and another punt.

The Lions begin on their on 37. Stafford passes to Peterson at the line of scrimmage where McKinley takes him out of bounds. On 2^nd and 9, Stafford changes the play, then hands to Peterson who gained no yards, stopped by Neal who got off the WR block. On 3^rd and 9, Stafford throws to Amendola at the first down marker, but he cannot haul the ball in. Another Lions punt.

Grady Jarrett and Keanu Neal stop Adrian Peterson – Photo Courtesy of Atlanta Falcons/Kyle Hess

The Falcons begin on their own 11 with less than 2 minutes to go in the first quarter. Hurst makes the reception at the first down marker, makes a few yards and leaps over another defender. Jones gets the next pass for 8 yards. Near the 40, the pass is to Calvin Ridley on a slant route, but the ball was too far back on his shoulder and cannot haul in the pass. Raheem Morris throws the challenge flag that Hurst caught the ball on a deflection. The ball bounced off of Ridley’s shoulder, off the defender twice and while still in the air, Hurst hauled it in. The call was reverse and the Falcons have a first down at their own 42. A fake to Gurley and a too high pass to Ridley near the sideline. Ryan dumps off to Hill who gains 9 yards as the quarter ends.

End of first quarter, the Lions lead 7/0 over the Falcons, who are driving near midfield.

At the Detroit 49, the Falcons are 2^nd and 1, Olamide Zaccheaus takes the snap and pushes up the middle for no gain. On 4^th and 1, Hurst is in motion and gains the first down and 9 yards. Ryan is flushed out of pocket and from the line of scrimmage finds Ridley on the sideline, while dragging toes to ensure he is in bounds. From the Lions 22, Ryan fakes to Gurley and lobs it to the end zone to Hurst who nearly makes a one-handed catch. There is a hold on the defense providing 5 yards and a first down at the 17. Ryan hands off to Gurley who gains no yards before heading out of bounds. On 2^nd and 10 Ryan finds Powell for the touchdown, but is negated by a Ridley PI. On 2^nd and 20, Ryan from the shotgun, finds Gurley over the middle for 11 yards. On 3^rd and 9, Ryan throws out of the end zone over Ridley, who gets up a little gimpy. PI called on the defense, a fresh set of downs and the all on the 1. Ryan fakes to Gurley and Luke Stocker cannot make the reception. On 2^nd and goal, Gurley runs into a wall and is stopped at the 2. Third down, Gurley goes around the right side and gets the touchdown.

With 10:54 to go to the half, the game is tied at 7.

After the kickoff, the Lions begin on their own 21. Stafford fakes to Peterson and connects with Kenny Golladay under coverage of Kendall Sheffield and Deion Jones. After a 13-yard pick up, Peterson gets the call for a 7-yard gain. At the 41, Peterson gains no yards and Swift returns to the game. On 3^rd and 3, Stafford finds Amendola wide open on the sideline for an 18-yard gain. Jarrett is called for a roughing the passer for shoving Stafford after the release of the ball. Swift is run out of bounds by Jones. On 3^rd and 11 from the Falcons 12, Hockenson is open and makes the 10-yard reception. On 4^th and 1, Peterson gets the ball and Dante Fowler makes the stop behind the line of scrimmage. A flag comes onto the field AFTER the end of the play. Fowler’s helmet was knocked off by another player, but the Falcons were charged with a penalty.

The Falcons begin on their own 2. Ryan and Hurst cannot connect on first down. Gurley steps over a player for another yard. On 3^rd and 8 from the end zone, Ryan finds Ridley at the 31 for a 27-yard first down reception. Hill gets the call for a yard. On 2^nd and 9 Ryan drops back, under a delayed blitz, Ryan scrambles and runs, then sees Hill for a short gain, who goes for the first down on his own. From the 43, Ryan hands to Hill who shoves his way for 2 yards. on 2^nd and 8, Ryan finds Hurst across midfield for a 17-yard reception. Hurst was settled in behind the smaller linebackers and just waited on the ball.

Two Minute Warning.

From the 38, Gurley gains 3 yards. Jones returns to the field, plays decoy and Powell hauls in the reception for 4 yards. on 3^rd and 3, Ryan find Jones for a 13-yard gain to the 18. Jones is standing at the 5 where he catches the next pass, before gimping off the field again. The Falcons call Time out. First and goal from the 5, Gurley gets the call and gains a few yards. Jones is being stretched out on the sideline, then comes back onto the field. The Lions take a time out with 42 seconds remaining. Second down, Ryan drops back and finds Ridley in the back of the end zone, one foot in, second foot out. On third down, Ryan finds Ridley in the middle of the end zone for the touchdown. Ridley had escaped his defender and was wide open at the point of reception.

29 seconds to go to half and the Falcons take the 14/7 lead.

Stafford finds Hockenson for a 10-yard reception where he is knocked out of bounds by Neal. Detroit takes a time out. Golladay makes the 18-yard reception under Sheffield zone coverage. From the Falcons 47, the Lions are called for false start and moved back 5 yards to their 47. On 1^st and 15, Stafford finds Jones at the 33. They quickly snap and down the ball and with 3 seconds to go, the Lions kick a 50-yard field goal.

At half time – Falcons 14, Lions 10.

The Lions start on their own 14, a handoff to Swift goes for 2 yards. On 2^nd down, Jones is standing between Oluokun and Neal for the 16-yard reception. As Stafford is still dropping back, Neal sacks him for a 9-yard loss. He was untouched. On 2^nd and 19, Jones almost gets to Stafford, but Swift has the ball and jetting up for 8 yards. on 3^rd and 11, the offensive line is holding up well, Stafford finds Golladay for 29 yards and is taken down by Neal. A Swift handoff along the right side, gains 24 yards, but is called back due to offensive holding. From midfield, a first and 20, pass to Swift gains back 13 yards. Peterson gets the call up the middle easily for a first down and few more yards. From the Falcons 29, Peterson goes for a few yards and stopped by Sherrod Neasman. On 2^nd and 7, Peterson gains no yards, mainly stopped by Oluokun. Stafford drops back, and UNBLOCKED, Jones come flying at him, Stafford ducks down some and Jones sacks him as he glides over him. The Lions are forced to kick another field goal.

With 7:34 to go in the 3^rd quarter, Falcons lead is cut to 1, leading 14/13.

The Falcons start on their own 15, with a Ryan pass to Gage for a 9-yard gain. Gurley gets the first down, but only 2 yards. A fake to Gurley and then passes toward Gurley, just out of reach. Ryan find Jones for a 5-yard gain over the middle. Jones is in the slot, while Ryan is scrambling, he is sacked for a 4-yard loss. Ryan was expecting zone and is on the sideline yelling at people.

After the punt, the Lions will begin at their own 31. An incompletion begins the Lions drive. Stafford finds Amendola for a 3-yard gain, stopped by Isaiah Oliver. The Falcons take a time out. On 3^rd and 7, Stafford passes into an empty spot on the field and lets out some bad words too. Two of the Lion receivers were in the same spot, literally running into each other. The Lions punt, Powell calls for a fair catch at the 15, but the ball bounces and stops at the 6.

Gurley runs up the middle for 5 yards. Gurley finds an opening, shoves his way literally through defenders and picks up 13 yards. Ryan drops back and finds Jones just past the first down marker, then Jones pushes for 7 more yards. At the 41, Gurley pushes into a crowd for 2 yards. On 2^nd and 8, Ryan drops back and finds Hurst near the first down marker, Hurst stretches it out for the first down. Across midfield, a fake to Gurley and Ryan bounce passes toward Hurst. On 2^nd and 10, Ryan zings in a ball to Jones, which looked like an interception, but went just past the hands of the defender into Jones for an 8-yard gain. Another pass to Jones for a first down.

End of the 3^rd quarter, Falcons driving with the 14/13 lead.

From the Lions 36, Gurley takes the ball for a few yards, but negated and moved back by a Jaeden Graham holding penalty. First and 10 from the 46, Ryan find a wide-open Jones inside the 20. Stocker is called for a false start and the Falcons move back to the 23. Gurley goes for 9 yards, then is stopped for a loss of 6 yards. On 3^rd and 12, Ryan, on the run, finds Ridley headed out of bounds for a gain of 7 yards. At the 13, on 4^th and 5, Ryan’s pass to Ito Smith is knocked down before it reaches Smith.

The Lions take over at their own 13. Swift rushes for 3 yards. Stafford drops back and finds Golladay who rips the ball out of Terrell’s hands…both had their hands on the ball. Morris challenges that Golladay made the catch in bounds. The call was not overturned and the Falcons lose their 2^nd time out. Stafford is nearly sacked by Neal but makes the completion to Jones at the 49, where he is hard met by Allen. Jones makes the next reception and is tackled by Jarrett at the 45. On 2^nd and 4, Peterson goes for 3 yards. On the 3^rd and 1, Peterson is shoved back for a loss by rookie Mykal Walker. On 4^th and 2, the Lions fake the punt, then he steps up under center to try and pull the Falcons off. The Lions challenge the previous play, that Deion Jones didn’t get off the field in time and the Falcons had 12 men “technically” on the field as Stafford quick snapped. Jones had one foot still on the field, but the officials gave 5 yards to the Lions. On their free first down, the Lions gain a yard. On 2^nd and 9, Stafford slings it incomplete to Swift with Fowler in his face. Golladay makes the reception near the first down marker, but is a fourth down as he is stopped short by Sheffield. Matt Prater’s field goal is wide right and the Falcons maintain the lead.

Ryan finds an open Ridley for a first down at the 48. From the 48, Gurley is hit in the backfield for a 3-yard loss. Back at the 45, Ryan delays the handoff to Gurley, who still cannot find an opening, gains back the lost 3 yards. On 3^rd down, Ryan fumbles the ball and it is recovered by the Lions. Jake Matthews didn’t hold his block.

Fowler comes off the side and stops Swift for a 6-yard loss. The Swift reception at the line of scrimmage is stopped and Steven Means forces him back 2 more yards. On 3^rd and 17, Stafford steps up and then has to pull the ball down and run himself as Oluokun makes the hit. Prater makes the 49-yard field goal and the Lions take back the lead.

With 3:16 to go in the game, the Lions lead 16/14.

Powell brings the kickoff from the 1 to the 24, where a small scruff ensues. Ryan finds Gage for a 6-yard gain, then a first down. Ryan finds Gurley underneath for an 8-yard gain.

Two Minute Warning.

The Falcons have one timeout and the ball at their own 47, needing 2 yards for the first down. Ryan scrambles under pressure, then finds Gage, double covered at the Lions 36. Gage leaped and made a one-handed catch. On first down, Ryan finds Gage near the sideline for another first down at the 21. Gage and Ridley are on the sideline and Ryan hands to Gurley who literally refuses to be stopped, partially hopping on one foot, but moving for an 8-yard gain. Lions call a timeout. With 1:25 to go in the game on 2^nd and 2 at the 13, Gurley goes to the left side and gains 1 yard. The Lions call another timeout.

On 3^rd and 1 with 1:18 to go in the game, Gurley stutter steps and waits, then busts through a hole and gets the first down. The ball is on the ground, but Gurley rips it quickly back in. Keith Smith and Chris Lindstrom providing the big blocks. Next play, Gurley goes up the middle, flying through defenders and tries to stop himself before going into the end zone, but falls into the end zone. A side-arm throw under pressure to Ridley gives the successful 2-point conversion.

With 1:04 left in the game, the Falcons lead 22 to 16 over the Lions.

From the 25, Stafford lobs the ball up past the first down marker, but the ball and receiver are out of bounds. Second and 10, under pressure, Stafford finds Hockenson near the sideline, he cannot get out of bounds as Terrell is blocking it and Oliver and Oluokon are pulling him down inside. This takes many precious ticks off the clock. Stafford rushes them back to the line to snap and down the ball. With 34 seconds remaining, from the Lions 33, Stafford drops back then sidearm throws up to the Falcons 40. Another snap and downing of the ball. 19 seconds from the Falcons 40, Stafford throws down to the 8-yard line to Golladay. There is a flag on the play. 3 seconds to go. The Lions snap the ball before the Falcons are even set. The catch is under review from the booth. The ruling of the catch stands. Still 3 seconds on the clock. Everyone is lined up and ready as the clock starts. Stafford spikes the ball with 2 seconds remaining. The ball is at the 11. Stafford drops back and finds Hockenson in the end zone escaping coverage of Jones and Oluokon. As time expires, there is a flag on the play. Unsportsmanlike conduct by Amendola moves the Lions back 15 yards. The extra point is attempted from the 30, so a 48-yard extra point attempt. It is good and the Falcons lose again.

#RiseUp

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