The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Another collapse in fourth quarter spoils potentialwin
Falcons running back Todd Gurley tried to fall down before scoring.
He left the defense too much time.
“I shouldn’t have scored,” Gurley said. Detroit’s Matthew Stafffffffffffford drove the Lions down the field and tossed a sidearm touchdown pass to tight end T. J. Hockenson as time expired to give the Lions a 23- 22 victory Sunday before 7,796 fans at Mercedes- Benz Stadium.
“You have to have the ability to pick up the ball when the guy is scrambling around and throwing it in the air,” Falcons interimcoach Raheem Morris said. “We have got to fifind ways to fifinish the game better. We did not get it done today.”
The Falcons trailed 16- 14 with 3: 16 left. Gurley’s touchdownput themup 20- 14. Atwo- point conversion pass to CalvinRidley was completed.
But there was thematter of the Lions getting the ball with 1: 04 left to play.
The defense, which couldn’t mount any pass rush, couldn’t hold Stafffffffffffford, the former Georgia standout.
“( Dante Fowler) made some big, splash plays today,” Morris said of his defensive end. “We needed one more from somebody and we didn’t get it.”
The Lions improved to 3- 3 on the season, while the Falcons dropped to 1- 6. It was the Falcons’ latest fourth- quarter collapse to go along with horrific losses early in the season to Dallas and Chicago when they blew double- digit, fourth- quarter leads.
Here are the thingswe learned from the loss:
Long drives
The Falcons put together two touchdown drives that went for nearly 6 minutes in the first half. They had another that stretched over the third and fourth quarters, but it did not yield any points after a failed fourth- and- 4 attempt at Detroit’s 13- yard line.
They passed on a field goal they would end up needing.
Matt Ryan led the Falcons on a 13- play, 89- yard touchdowndrive that took 5: 48 off the clock in the first and second quarters.
Gurley scoredona 1- yardtouchdown run. Fullback Keith Smith had a nice lead block on the play.
After the defense stopped the Lions on a fourth- and- goal from the 2- yard line, the offense got the ball back. Fowler had a big hit on Detroit running back Adrian Peterson to foil the scoring attempt.
The Falcons converted onthree third- down situations as they drove methodically down the field. Ryanwas 7 of 9 for 88 yards during the 14- play, 98- yard drive.
Ryan tossed a 4- yard touchdownpass to Calvin Ridley to put the Falcons up 14- 7 with 29 seconds left before the half.
The Lions zipped down the field to get in field goal range, and Matt Prater hit a 50- yarder as time expired in the first half with the Falcons up 14- 10.
The Lions added a 51- yard field goal by Prater on their first possession of the second half to make it 14- 13.
Defenseless Stafford
In a bizarre call, Falcons rookie cornerback A. J. Terrell hit Stafford after he left the pocket. He was called for unnecessary roughness on what looked like a routine hard tackle.
Lions running back D’Andre Swift scored on a 3- yard touchdown run on the next play to put the Lions up 7- 0.
Terrell appeared to leave his feet, but wasnot called for launching. Stafford had left the pocket and therefore had turned into a running player.
Pass rush lacking
It was the first game back for defensive end Takk McKinley, but he was a non- factor. He finished with one tackle.
McKinley had played just five snaps over the past four games after suffering a groin injury against Dallas in Game 2.
Whenthe Falcons needed pressure, they blitzed.
Falcons strong safety Keanu Neal and linebacker Deion Jones had key sacks in the third quarter for the Falcons.
Stafford often had time to scan the fieldandpickouthis receivers.
Battle of the Georgia RBs
Atlanta’s Gurley and Detroit’s Swift, who both played at Georgia,
had key roles in the game as each had a rushing touchdown.
Gurley rushed 23 times for 63 yards and two touchdowns.
Swift rushed nine times for 27 yards and a touchdown. He caught four passes for 21 yards.
“They played well up front,” Ryan said. “Their defensive front seven played tough. They are big and physical. They did a nice job against our run game.”
Howdid Hockenson get so open?
On the game- winning touchdown, Fowler made Stafford move to his right, but McKinley’s rush was too high and he ran past the quarterback. Stafford slid out to his left and found some open room.
Hockenson ran across Jones’ helmet and kept moving with Stafford to get open.
“We had the opportunity for the win,” said Neal, who led the Falcons with 11 tackles. “It was winning time and we didn’t do that. It was one of those games that you felt you had in the bag and when you don’t come out victorious it obviously hurts.”
Neal was in the back of the end zone on the winning touchdown.
“He got out of the pocket and we just had to plaster, honestly,” Neal said. “It’s not reallymuch else to it. We had an opportunity.”
Injury report
Falcons center AlexMack left the game on the team’s first possession. Rookie Matt Hennessy took over for Mack, who returned on the next possession and finished out the game.
Falcons wide receiver Russell Gage got tangled up with Detroit linebacker Reggie Ragland in the first quarter. His left knee got caught underneath him on the play and it looked pretty gruesome on the replay.
Gage was able to walk off the field and returned to the game after halftime.
Wide receiver Julio Joneswas seen several times on the sideline getting his left hamstring stretched out by the trainers.