Falcons snap losing streak, hang on to beat Raiders

LAS VEGAS — Bijan Robinson led the way on the ground and the Atlanta Falcons got great special teams play from KhaDarel Hodge in an ugly 15-9 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night.

Robinson had 125 yards on 22 carries. His work on the ground offset the continued struggles of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was 11-of-17 for 112 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. Cousins ​​found wide receiver Drake London for a 30-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.

Hodge had a blocked punt and another tipped punt, helping the Falcons gain much-needed field position in a game that seemed like a throwback from before. Edge rusher DeAngelo Malone had two sacks, safety Justin Simmons had an interception and the Falcons earned their first safety of the season.

The Falcons (7-7) snapped their four-game losing streak and are back to .500. With seven wins, they have equaled their win total in the past three seasons with three games to play. Atlanta is still in the playoffs.

That is the good news.

The bad news is that during that skid, the Falcons went from running away with the NFC South — at 6-3 with a 4-0 division record — to nearly slipping away. And nothing about a low-scoring win against the woeful Raiders will make fans sure how this team will fare the rest of the way, especially considering the team above them in the standings is the red-hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The biggest question going forward is still Cousins. He has nine interceptions in the past five games against just one touchdown pass. The Falcons limited him as much as they could in their offensive game plan Monday night, but that’s not a long-term — or even short-term — solution. That’s not what Atlanta spent $180 million over four years for in the offseason.

Two words: A specialist’s dream. The Falcons had a blocked punt and a tipped punt from Hodge, Kevin King blocked an extra point and punter Bradley Pinion pinned the Raiders inside the 10-yard line four times, including twice inside the 5 in a low-scoring field position game.

Disturbing trend: It seemed like the Falcons’ strategy was to limit Cousins’ pass attempts as much as possible. He did not throw a pass on a first down in the first half, the first time that has happened in his career. It might have worked against the Raiders, but it’s not a solution to Cousins’ problems.

Pivotal game: Cousins ​​found London for a 30-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, which was pretty much all the Falcons needed. It was the longest touchdown catch of London’s career. He now has five straight prime-time games with a touchdown reception, tied for the longest streak in 10 years. — Marc Raimondi

Next game: vs. New York Giants (1 p.m. ET, Fox, Sunday)

Dropping their 10th straight game — their longest losing streak of the season since opening the 2014 season 0-10 — the Raiders kept pace for a top-two draft pick.

Falling to the Falcons tied Las Vegas’ record with the Giants for worst in the NFL. The Raiders play the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11) on Sunday in a No. 1-elimination match.

Already decimated by injuries — the Raiders were missing their top two QBs as well as Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby — Las Vegas also lost new starting running back Sincere McCormick to an ankle injury in the second quarter.

Most Surprising Performance: Three sacks by a defensive front that lacks Crosby. Undrafted rookie defensive tackle Jonah Laulu had his first career sack, while fellow DT Adam Butler had his No. 3.5 on the season, and defensive end Tyree Wilson, last year’s first-round pick, got his fourth of 2024.

Prediction for next week: An ultra-conservative offensive game plan showed little or no faith in third-string quarterback Desmond Ridder, who joined the team on October 22. So why not throw undrafted rookie QB Carter Bradley, who has been in Las Vegas since April, out there against the Jaguars , just to see what he’s got? Especially if Aidan O’Connell’s bone bruise on his left knee keeps him out again.

QB breakdown: At one point late in the second quarter, Ridder had nearly as many rushing yards as passing yards. He finished with 208 passing yards completing 23-of-29 attempts with one touchdown and two interceptions. He was 0-of-6 with an interception on throws at least 15 yards downfield midway through the fourth quarter, according to ESPN Research.

Game RPM: It’s a tie between running back Alexander Mattison, who fumbles on his first carry since Nov. 17 on Las Vegas’ first possession, and running back Ameer Abdullah, who calls for a fair catch on a punt inside the Raiders’ 5-yard line. Mattison’s turnover didn’t result in an immediate Atlanta score in what was then a scoreless game, but it set a tone. And two snaps after Abdullah’s fair catch, Mattison was dropped in the end zone for a safety that gave the Falcons a 9-3 lead. — Paul Gutierrez

Next game: vs. Jaguars (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS, Sunday)