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Late no-call helps secure Falcons’ win<\/p>\n
The Rams missed on three deep shots to get into field-goal range in the game’s final 21 seconds. On the second attempt to wide receiver Tutu Atwell, officials missed a potential pass interference call that would have set up the Rams in chip-shot FG range. Cornerback Dee Alford had a hold of Atwell’s left arm, but officials didn’t call pass interference, and the Falcons held on for the win.<\/p>\n
Bad night for Stafford’s MVP case<\/p>\n
The loss could help keep the playoff-bound Rams in the NFC’s No. 6 seed and block them from the No. 5 spot, which offers a tougher matchup in the wild-card round.<\/p>\n
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The No. 5 seed will travel to face the NFC South winner, which will either be the the Carolina Panthers or Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The No. 6 seed projects to travel to face either the Philadelphia Eagles or Chicago Bears. Seeding won’t be finalized until the dust settles on Week 18.<\/p>\n
Monday’s result also plays a significant factor in two late-season NFL storylines.<\/p>\n
The Falcons intercepted Matthew Stafford three times, including a pick 6, delivering a blow to his MVP hopes in what\u2019s largely seen as a two-man race with Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. The pick 6 by Jessie Bates III spotted the Falcons a 14-0 lead in the first half.<\/p>\n
When the night was over, Stafford completed 22 of 38 passes for 269 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. And it increased his season-long interception total from five to eight.<\/p>\n
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One bad night, of course, isn’t going to tank Stafford’s MVP case. But on the heels of Maye’s five-touchdown effort <\/a>in a blowout of the Jets on Sunday, the MVP race has gotten considerably tighter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Bucs’ playoff hopes take a hit<\/p>\n The surprise Falcons win is also a threat to the playoff hopes of the Buccaneers. The Bucs play the Panthers on Saturday afternoon in a game that could determine the NFC South champion and the division\u2019s only playoff berth.<\/p>\n But if the Falcons win next Sunday\u2019s game against the New Orleans Saints, Saturday\u2019s Panthers-Bucs result won\u2019t matter. The Panthers would secure the division in the event of a three-way tie with the Falcons and Bucs at 8-9 if Tampa Bay and Atlanta both win next week.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Big night from Bijan Robinson<\/p>\n The Falcons built their big lead behind a huge first half from Robinson, who tallied 138 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns before the break.<\/p>\n Robinson finished the night with 22 carries for 195 yards and a touchdown on the ground. He added 5 catches for 34 yards and another score. He capped the first half with a 93-yard touchdown run that was set up by Stafford’s second interception and extended the Falcons’ lead to 21-0.<\/p>\n It appeared to put the Falcons in complete control.<\/p>\n Rams rally, but come up short<\/p>\n But the game swung in the second half when Jared Verse blocked a Gonzalez field-goal attempt, then scooped the ball up and returned it 78 yards for a Rams touchdown. Instead of a 27-10 Falcons lead late in the third quarter with a made field goal, the Rams cut their deficit to 24-17.<\/p>\n The Rams then tied the game at 24 on an 11-yard touchdown from Stafford to Puka Nacua with 2:46 remaining. They appeared to have the Falcons on the ropes.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n But the Falcons maintained their composure and responded with a nine-play, 32-yard drive that set Gonzalez up for the game-winning attempt. Gonzalez was pure from 51 yards with 21 seconds remaining, and the Falcons fended off Los Angeles’ last-gasp effort to get into field-goal range to hold on for the win.<\/p>\n Live coverage is over30 updates<\/p>\n Ryan Young<\/p>\n The Rams have already clinched a playoff spot, but they are now in the No. 6 seed with the loss. That’s likely where they’ll stay, too, unless they beat the Arizona Cardinals next week and get some help.<\/p>\n The Falcons will wrap up the regular season against the New Orleans Saints next weekend. While they are out of the playoffs already, a win there would hand the NFC South to the Carolina Panthers.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ryan Young<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ryan Young<\/p>\n After nearly blowing their massive 21-0 lead, the Falcons have held on to grab a narrow win over the Rams thanks to Zane Gonzales’ 51-yard field goal in the final minute. Puka Nacua nearly had a WILD grab to put the Rams in field goal position, but he bobbled it on his way out of bounds.<\/p>\n The Falcons, who have already been eliminated from the playoffs, have now won three straight.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ryan Young<\/p>\n This one went off perfectly. Zane Gonzales just drilled a 51-yard field goal, and the Falcons are out in front with about 20 seconds left on the clock. That may win them the game.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ryan Young<\/p>\n And just like that, we’re all tied up. Matthew Stafford threw it up to Puka Nacua on a screen pass, and he took it 11 yards for the touchdown.<\/p>\n The Falcons will get the ball back now with 2:46 left with a chance to go win it.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ryan Young<\/p>\n As far as a fourth-quarter interception goes, the Rams got lucky there. They came up with a quick three-and-out after the pick and the penalty, so they’ll get the ball back almost right away after a punt.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ryan Young<\/p>\n That was such a promising drive for the Rams, too. Matthew Stafford tried to get it to Terrance Ferguson there on a short fourth down, but Xavier Watts jumped in front and pulled off the interception.<\/p>\n Watts ran it all the way back to the end zone, but officials brought it back after he stepped out of bounds just barely. A Falcons coach cut off an official, too, which brought the play back another 15 yards.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Ryan Young<\/p>\n The Rams are rolling now. They just forced a quick three-and-out there after breaking up a pass intended for Bijan Robinson there on third down, so the Rams will get the ball back right away in the four<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Jason Owens<\/p>\n This is how you get back into the game.<\/p>\n The Falcons were on the verge of a 3-possession lead with a 37-yard field-goal attempt by Zane Gonzalez. Instead, the Rams have cut the Atlanta lead to seven.<\/p>\n Jared Verse blocked Gonzalez’s attempt, then scooped the ball up and returned it 78 yards untouched for a touchdown. The 10-point swing has cut Atlanta’s lead to 24-17 late in the third quarter, and the tenor of this game has taken a dramatic shift.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Jason Owens<\/p>\n This is what MVP-candidate Matthew Stafford looks like.<\/p>\n Stafford rolled out on a play-action pass and threw a 27-yard laser to tight end Terrance Ferguson in the end zone for the first Rams touchdown of the night. Los Angeles cuts the Atlanta lead to 24-10 with 4:59 remaining in the third quarter. This one’s not over.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Jason Owens<\/p>\n The Falcons answered with a 56-yard Zane Gonzalez field goal and have extended their lead back to 21 points at 24-21 with 7:46 remaining in the third quarter.<\/p>\n The Rams need a touchdown, and fast.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Jason Owens<\/p>\n The Rams are on the board, but they remain down by three possessions.<\/p>\n Los Angeles went for it and converted on fourth-and-6 on its first possession of the the second half. But when they faced fourth-and-12 in field-goal range, they settled for a 35-yard Harrison Mevis kick.<\/p>\n The Falcons hold a 21-3 lead early in the third quarter.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Jason Owens<\/p>\n It’s all Falcons at halftime in a stunner against a playoff-bound Rams team.<\/p>\n The Falcons have intercepted Matthew Stafford twice and take a 21-0 lead into the break. A 93-yard Bijan Robinson touchdown run capped off the explosive Atlanta first half.<\/p>\n Falcons<\/strong> Rams<\/strong> Falcons total offense: 211 yards on 7.5 yards per play, 8 first downs Falcons turnovers: 0 Jason Owens<\/p>\n What a stunner. The Falcons are taking a 21-0 lead into halftime while holding a Sean McVay-coached Rams team scoreless in the first half for just the third time in McVay’s 9-year stint.<\/p>\n Two interceptions of Matthew Stafford and a 93-yard Bijan Robinson touchdown run highlight an electric first half for the Falcons<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Jason Owens<\/p>\n The Falcons have blown this thing open after Mathew Stafford’s second interception of the game<\/p>\n Xavier Watts intercepted a Stafford deep ball on first down despite an offensive pass interference penalty on receiver Xavier Smith.<\/p>\n One play later, Bijan Robinson took it to the house for a 93-yard touchdown run an 21-0 Atlanta lead.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Jason Owens<\/p>\n A high-octane Rams offense has been anything put and remains off the scoreboard at the first-half 2-minute warning.<\/p>\n They have the ball back near midfield after a Falcons punt and will look to run a successful 2-minute drill to cut into Atlanta’s 14-0 lead.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Jason Owens<\/p>\n The Rams thought they were in the red zone when Puka Nacua made a sensational contested sideline catch inside the 5-yard line for a 36-yard gain.<\/p>\n But left tackle D.J. Humphries wasn’t lined up on the line of scrimmage and got flagged for an illegal formation penalty that negated the big gain. The Rams punted 3 plays later and remain scoreless as the Falcons hold a 14-0 lead with 4:11 remaining in the first half.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Jason Owens<\/p>\n The Falcons have nothing to play for but are competing tonight.<\/p>\n Matthew Stafford missed the mark with an overthrow downfield, and All-Pro safety Jessie Bates picked it off downfield. Bates returned it 34 yards for a touchdown and 14-0 Falcons lead.<\/p>\n The interception was just Stafford’s sixth of the season. It was the 32nd pick 6 of his 17-season career, tying him with Brett Favre for the most all time, according to the “Monday Night Football” broadcast.<\/p>\n It won’t help his case as he looks to secure league MVP.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Jason Owens<\/p>\n The Falcons ran 10 plays after forcing the turnover on downs in the red zone, but only advanced to their own 48-yard line. They punted on fourth-and-9, and the Rams have the ball back with a 7-0 deficit and 9:54 remaining in the second quarter.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Jason Owens<\/p>\n Khalid Kareem was elevated from Atlanta’s practice squad for Monday’s game and immediately rewarded the Falcons for their decision.<\/p>\n The sixth-year pro anticipated the snap on fourth-and-1 and stuffed Rams running back Kyren Williams in the backfield for a 2-yard loss.<\/p>\n The Falcons take over on downs at their own 13 with a 7-0 lead after coming up with the stop in the red zone.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Atlanta Falcons entered Monday night at 6-9 with nothing to play for. They didn\u2019t get that memo…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":479728,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5123],"tags":[6328,58919,1582,276,8996,531,96904,29345,181311,7146,217365,34007,2961,224,9006,5337,9004,1105,89635,72004,91397,3528,75778,203727],"class_list":{"0":"post-479727","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles","8":"tag-atlanta-falcons","9":"tag-bijan-robinson","10":"tag-ca","11":"tag-california","12":"tag-carolina-panthers","13":"tag-chicago-bears","14":"tag-dee-alford","15":"tag-drake-maye","16":"tag-field-goal-attempt","17":"tag-jared-verse","18":"tag-jessie-bates-iii","19":"tag-jets","20":"tag-la","21":"tag-los-angeles","22":"tag-los-angeles-rams","23":"tag-losangeles","24":"tag-new-orleans-saints","25":"tag-philadelphia-eagles","26":"tag-puka-nacua","27":"tag-stafford","28":"tag-tampa-bay","29":"tag-tampa-bay-buccaneers","30":"tag-tutu-atwell","31":"tag-zane-gonzalez"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115807818893655930","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=479727"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/479727\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/479728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=479727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=479727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=479727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
![\"Ryan](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1767086954_505_dims.jpeg\"\/)
Mon, December 29, 2025 at 8:15 PM PST\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 8:11 PM PST\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 8:10 PM PST\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 8:01 PM PST\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 7:50 PM PST\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 7:41 PM PST\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 7:39 PM PST\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 7:27 PM PST\n![\"Jason](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1767086954_575_dims.jpeg\"\/)
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Kirk Cousins: 7 of 11, 68 yards, 1 TD, no turnovers
Bijan Robinson: 11 carries, 125 yards; 2 catches, 13 yards; 2 total TDs
Jessie Bates: 1 interception returned for TD<\/p>\n
Matthew Stafford: 9 of 17, 96 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs including 1 pick 6
Blake Corum: 6 carries for 18 yards
Puka Nacua: 2 catches for 18 yards<\/p>\n
Rams total offense: 113 yards on 4 yards per play, 5 first downs<\/p>\n
Rams turnovers: 2<\/p>\n<\/li>\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 6:35 PM PST\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 6:28 PM PST\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 6:24 PM PST\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 6:18 PM PST\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 6:08 PM PST\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 6:02 PM PST\nMon, December 29, 2025 at 5:50 PM PST\n