The Atlanta Falcons were right there at halftime against a playoff-bound Seattle Seahawks team. And then the dam broke on the first play of the second half.
We were all expecting something like that to happen after leaving numerous opportunities on the field in the first half.
I was a continuation of the story of the season, with this edition leading to their elimination from the playoffs.
Falcons winners and losers from collapse against the Seahawks
Loser: Marquice Williams
If Marquice Williams isn't fired after another awful performance by his special teams unit, the city of Atlanta will riot.
Williams hasn't found a way to fix the special teams' massive issues. They aren't holding their lanes on kick coverage, aren't holding their blocks on returns, and struggle to protect on kicks.
The only thing that has gone right is Bradley Pinion's punting.
Winner: Deven Thompkins
When you have a game like this, it requires nitpicking to find winners.
Deven Thompkins had a nice return in the fourth quarter that he returned to midfield. And he was working with the worst return blockers in the NFL in front of him.
He should also be getting more snaps on offense.
Loser: Raheem Morris' job security
Raheem Morris' firing should be a foregone conclusion at this point. No one can look at this team and think they are a well-coached team. They have struggled to do the little things right, they are making the same mistakes over and over, and they can't keep their composure.
If Morris is fired, the entore coaching staff is as good as gone.
In addition, Terry Fontenot should be on the hot seat. He put this roster together that has its fair share of holes, specifically, at wide receiver.
Winner: James Pearce Jr.'s DROY bid
On his third snap of the game, James Pearce Jr. continued his sack streak by taking down Sam Darnold at the one-yard line. He is now the first rookie to go five straight games with a sack since Micah Parsons in 2021.
There is an argument for him to be Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Loser: Wide receiver room
Here is a repeat from last week's edition: the wide receivers for the Falcons are an embarrassment. Not having Drake London has killed this offense, further proving how important he is to this team.
Darnell Mooney didn't have his first catch until there were eight minutes left in the game (technically), and Dylan Drummond and David Sills V continue to show no upside.
Wide receiver will be at the top of the offseason to-do list.
Winner: Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a great team heading to the playoffs with the possibility of having a top-ten pick. It isn't often a team can say that, but the Falcons set them up with that.
While the Falcons love having Pearce Jr. on their team, it doesn't mean it won't hurt to see the Rams drafting in the top ten in April.
Loser: NFL officials
I hate being that person, but the refs were absolutely awful. They were throwing flags all over the field on the Falcons early in the game, while they refused to call numerous holds on the Seahawks' offense.
Then came the unacceptable ruling on what should've been a Mooney touchdown. No matter if they ruled that Mooney was pushed out or not, he re-established himself and should've been a touchdown. It was one of the worst calls I've ever witnessed.
Then they capped it off with a missed offensive pass interference call on Jaxon Smith-Njigba on the Cooper Kupp touchdown.