Falcons – Raiders Instant Recap: The Falcons wake up from their slumber with a soporific win

The Atlanta Falcons really needed a win and we didn’t care what form it took. It’s a good thing we didn’t, because the shape it took was a real snoozefest.

The Falcons had a great day on special teams, a predictably strong day on defense against a woeful Raiders offense, and ran the ball pretty well. The problem was, outside of a small handful of big plays, the passing game was a complete zero, and four (!) false start penalties contributed to Atlanta sputtering on numerous drives. The result was a win, and that’s important — the defensive and special teams performances were encouraging, even given the opponent — but all the familiar concerns about how Kirk Cousins ​​is doing and how undisciplined this team is still very much there.

More to the point, no one saw this game and thought the Falcons can win against a quality opponent if we don’t hit. The defense is finding its footing – I know what the secondary did against Minnesota, but some of it was flat – and Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier can do a lot of damage on the ground. This is still a team prone to big plays and costly penalties, one that can no longer reliably pass the ball against anyone, and a team with a kicker that is both suddenly inconsistent and seemingly no longer trusts this coaching staff. It all adds up to a team we cannot be trusted.

Still, they won this game, even though it once again came down to the last play against a terrible team. Atlanta is back to .500 and still within striking distance of the NFC South if they can win; better play must begin next week for the Falcons to have any chance of getting there.

Here’s a drive-by-drive recap of the game you just watched.

1st quarter

After a decent comeback, the Raiders took over and … got a false start. Four yards followed on a carry for Sincere McCormick. Desmond Ridder was under pressure and found Brock Bowers for about 10 yards, bringing the Raiders close to a first down. McCormick was then tackled by Kaden Elliss and Grady Jarrett after picking up close to a yard, and on fourth down, Ridder had a keeper and picked up the first. McCormick was then quickly dropped after maybe a yard. Ridder then found McCormick over the middle for five yards. A quick throw to Ameer Abdullah fetched a first down. On the next play, a reverse to Jakobi Meyers for a deep throw was sniffed out and dropped for a ten-yard loss by Kaden Elliss. McCormick then lost two yards thanks to Ruke Orhorhoro, and then McCormick fumbled thanks to Dee Alford and was injured on the play, with the Falcons recovering the fumble thanks to Kevin King. Turnover.

Bijan Robinson cut back inside and took it for seven yards. The Falcons then had a false start on Chris Lindstrom, but Kirk Cousins ​​recovered the yards by hitting Ray-Ray McCloud over the middle. Robinson then took it about three yards to the right. Cousins ​​then hit Charlie Woerner for a few yards. Cousins ​​was then sacked on third down for a big loss. Punt and a touchback.

McCormick lost a yard on first down. Then Ridder slipped away from the pressure and threw it deep to Michael Mayer, but the ball was deflected just before it got to him. Another quick pass to Abdullah went a few yards. Punt and the Falcons got a piece of it and it fluttered around midfield.

Bijan picked up 11 yards and a first down. Then he picked up eight yards on first down, with Tyler Allgeier losing about a yard on the next carry. Then Cousins ​​hit Kyle Pitts for a first down. Allgeier was then hit at the line. On the next play, Cousins ​​found Drake London downfield for an easy touchdown of about 30 yards, setting Falcons ahead 7-0.

Ridder took it down and ran for eight yards.

2. Quarter

Then McCormick picked up the first down. Ridder then threw one up to McCormick for 15 yards and a first down, and a challenge from Raheem Morris was unsuccessful. McCormick then gained maybe a yard before Elliss took him down. Ridder then got a first try when the pressure failed to get home. His next pass to Bowers was low and incomplete. Abdullah then lost a yard. Ridder then threw it too high to Bowers, working against Mike Hughes. The Raiders then hit the field goal attempt to make it 7-3 Falcon.

Bijan was hit hard after maybe a yard. A quick pass to Robinson then gained about ten yards for a first down. Robinson then picked up maybe 13 yards and a first down, and followed that up with about five yards. Allgeier then bullied his way for three yards through a ton of contact. Bijan then took it for a first down after an interrupted play where an official nearly ran into Tyler Allgeier. Bijan was then hit and maybe got a farm. Cousins ​​was nearly sacked but was able to run about four yards. Cousins ​​went after Mooney on third down but didn’t get it, and then the Falcons tried to draw the Raiders offsides on a Younghoe Koo try but didn’t get them and they took a delay of game. Punt and the Raiders caught it at about the three yard line.

McCormick was tackled at the 1 for a two-yard loss by Kentavius ​​Street, then Zach Harrison and the Cavalry blew into the backfield to take him down for a safety. Falcons 9-3.

A quick three-yard gain to Bijan, and then Cousins ​​made an excellent decision to throw it away to Bijan on second down with a defender about to hit him. Then Cousins ​​found London over the middle for a first down. Allgeier took a good hit but kept picking up a few yards. An offside followed, and then Cousins ​​hit Woerner a few yards. Cousisn then took a sack on third down. Punt, and once again it was inside the 10 yard line.

Ridder threw a quick one to Bowers for about six yards. Abdullah then took it about five yards. Nate Landman flew in but couldn’t quite prevent the Raiders from getting a first down. Ridder then hit Bowers for 22 yards. Ridder then threw to Bowers in traffic and couldn’t get him, with Kevin King reaching up to get a hand on it. DeAngelo Malone then sacked Ridder to end the drive and the quarter.

3rd quarter

A nice Avery Williams return almost took the Falcons to midfield. Then, Kirk Cousins ​​threw an interception on the next play, with the ball slightly tipped.

Ridder was dropped for a two-yard loss, and then a quick screen to Jakobi Meyers for about six yards came back because of the penalty. Knight then tried to climb and Malone again got him for another sack. Then a quick run went nowhere. Somehow, KhaDarel Hodge got a hand on it again, this time completely blocking it as the Falcons got it deep in Las Vegas territory.

Bijan cut it for five or six yards and then took it close to the 10. He followed that up with another couple of yards. He was then engulfed for no gain. Cousins ​​then missed McCloud on third down and Younghoe Koo hit the field goal to do so 12-3 Falcon.

Ridder was flushed by pressure and ran and slid for nine yards. Mattison then picked up about seven yards and a first down. Ridder then threw a deep one that Mike Hughes got a hand on. It was followed by a false start. Dee Alford broke up the second down and nearly knocked it off. Then Ridder released the pressure and threw it away. Point.

Tyler Allgeier picked up a pair on first down, then punted one to gain the Falcons about 20 yards. He followed that up with three yards. Robinson took it a few yards on second down. A false start followed from Jake Matthews, then Cousins ​​threw a pass that Pitts had to dig out a few yards. Pinion’s punt was then downed around the two by Antonio Hamilton

Mattison wasn’t going anywhere. And a quick pass to Mattison went for three or four yards, putting the Raiders a little out of their end zone. Ridder was nearly sacked at the 2-yard line, but managed to get rid of it to Mattison for a short gain instead of a complete disaster. Punt, and it didn’t go very far.

A throw to Bijan went for seven yards. Cousin and cousins ​​then tried to play action, had a man in the face, clutched it and threw it to the ground. Then Cousins ​​threw one up that London was able to roll onto the sideline. Robinson then picked up three yards.

4th quarter

False start, again, this time on Ross Dwelley. Cousins ​​saw pressure, hesitated and took it down to run for a minimal gain. A quick throw to Pitts gained about 10 yards, but it wasn’t enough for a first down. However, Koo easily hit the 48-yarder – one of his prettiest kicks in a while – to make it 15-3 Falcon.

Ridder found Mayer for a first down. Justin Simmons then had a potential catch loose from Jakobi Meyers for an incompletion. The pass rush then came home and Ridder had to throw it away, missing completely. Ridder then almost got fired by Arnold Ebiketie and threw it away again. Punt, and Williams returned it close 15 yards.

Robinson then picked up 29 yards on a well-blocked run. A high snap bounced off Cousins’ hands and he was able to fall on it for a significant loss. Bijan then took it four yards, and then another short pass to Pitts missed a first down. Punt, except there was a delay of game as the Falcons tried to draw the Raiders offside. It was again within 10.

A quick pass to Mattison produced a slight loss, and then Ridder threw one up right to Justin Simmons for an easy leaping interception.

Allgeier took it about five yards on first down. First down for Allgeier. Another transfer to Allgeier went nowhere. Cousins ​​then failed to pass the ball and fumbled for a loss, while Bijan took it about six yards to set up a field goal attempt. Koo missed it from 42 yards.

A quick first down for the Raiders, then a throw to Meyers for nine yards. Ridder tried to run and was tripped up by Zach Harrison. Ridder then hit Meyers again for a first down. Knight then struck someone, I don’t know who it was, because I had never heard of him. Elliss then came home and forced Ridder to throw it away. Then Ridder hit Abdullah for about 23 yards. Abdullah then caught a touchdown pass. 15-9 Falcon after Kevin King blocked the extra point.

Allgeier took it about three yards and then picked up another pair right up the middle. Cousins ​​then had his third down pass batted down, but a roughing the passer call saved the Falcons. Robinson then plowed ahead of a farm. Robinson then took a throw that should have been a loss and picked up a few yards. Cousins ​​then threw it to McCloud but knocked it over. Punt and it was a touchback.

Abdullah caught one for eight yards and then the Raiders were hit with a false start. A quick hitter to the sideline went for a first down and was out of bounds. On the next play, the Raiders were hit with a holding call to back them up ten yards. Another quick hitter to Meyers went about seven yards. The next pass went to Abdullah for a short pickoff, and then the next one was to Meyers again, but was tackled by Hughes for an incompletion. The Raiders were hit with a delay of game on the next play, turning a 4th and 3 into a 4th and 8. Then another to Abdullah got a first, and then Ridder hit Meyers for 22 yards and nailed it, leaving 10 seconds on the clock. Knight then threw one into the end zone and it fell incomplete, leaving two seconds. On the final play, Ridder threw a jump ball into the end zone and Jessie Bates knocked it away to preserve the win for Atlanta.