Falcons 15-9 Raiders (December 16, 2024) Game Summary

LAS VEGAS — — For most of the game, including double digits in the fourth quarter, the Atlanta Falcons were just trying to hang on at the end.

The Raiders had two passes into the end zone. Two passes to steal a win and give Atlanta a significant setback to its playoff hopes.

Desmond Ridder’s first attempt was incomplete and his second was intercepted by Jessie Bates III, allowing Atlanta to escape Las Vegas with a 15-9 victory Monday night and keep pace with the NFC South.

The Falcons (7-7) ended a four-game losing streak to remain one game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Atlanta owns the head-to-head tiebreaker in a tight race with three games remaining.

“That’s where you want to be, and that’s exactly where we are,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “We’ve got a short week. We’ve got to get back in the lab. We’ve got to find ways to fix what we did wrong tonight and come out and get another win.”

Atlanta has a favorable remaining schedule, facing two teams with a combined five wins sandwiching a trip to 9-5 Washington. Tampa Bay has a similar closing stretch.

A potential no. 1 overall draft pick rather than playoff scenarios make up most of the conversation about Las Vegas (2-12). The Raiders lost their 10th straight game, the NFL’s longest active skid, and are tied with the New York Giants for the league’s worst record. It’s the fifth-longest skid in Raiders history and the worst since dropping 16 straight a decade ago.

Kirk Cousins ​​entered with no touchdown passes and eight interceptions over his previous four starts, raising questions about whether rookie Michael Penix Jr. would take over as quarterback for Atlanta. Morris fixed by Cousins — who signed a four-year, $180 million contract this year — over the eighth pick in the NFL draft.

Cousins ​​did little to quell concerns about his play, passing for just 112 yards with one interception. His 30-yard pass to a wide-open Drake London with 14 seconds left in the first quarter to put Atlanta ahead 7-0 was his first touchdown toss since launching three of them Nov. 3 in a 27-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

“He’s got to play better,” Morris said.

Cousins ​​did not disagree.

“That states the obvious,” he said.

The Falcons got the rest of their points on two field goals by Younghoe Koo and a safety by defensive lineman Zach Harrison.

Bijan Robinson rushed for 125 yards and London caught three passes for 53 yards to give him 219 career receptions. London passed Calvin Ridley’s 217 catches for the most in Falcons history over a player’s first three seasons.

Atlanta prevented Ridder from putting a dent in its playoff plans. Ridder, who started 13 games for the Falcons last season before being traded to Arizona, was shutout most of the night in his first start this season. Replacing Aidan O’Connell, inactive with a bruised left knee, Ridder passed for 208 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

Ridder again downplayed the emotions of playing against his former team, emphasizing that this was more about the Raiders than him.

“We were never able to find a rhythm until late in the game,” he said. “At that point, it’s too little, too late.”

The injury-plagued Raiders gained just 249 yards and have trailed by double digits in all 14 games this season.

O’Connell wasn’t the only player missing. Defensive end Maxx Crosby announced Saturday that he would be undergoing season-ending ankle surgeryand the Raiders were without about half of their starting lineup on defense.

Las Vegas also lost running back Sincere McCormick, who had recently become a starter, to an ankle injury early in the second quarter.

Still, the Raiders nearly rallied to win.

Ridder’s 5-yard touchdown pass to running back Ameer Abdullah with 2:54 left brought Las Vegas within six. The extra point was blocked the third time the Falcons got their hands on a Raiders punt or kick.

After getting the ball back on a last-gasp drive, the Raiders converted a fourth-and-8 from their 34-yard line to eventually put the Knights two shots into the end zone.

“Desmond did a good job throwing it up there,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “It’s a jump-ball situation.”

Next

Falcons: Host the New York Giants on Sunday.

Raiders: Host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

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