Bijan Robinson totaled nearly 200 yards of scrimmage, and Kirk Cousins performed well, but the Atlanta Falcons lost on a walk-off field goal as time expired on Sunday. The loss against the pitiful 3-9 Jets can be attributed to multiple factors, but Raheem Morris quickly found an explanation.
"We didn't show up on special teams today; it hurt us," Morris said. The play he's mainly talking about came in the second quarter after the Falcons stopped the Jets in Atlanta territory and forced a punt. With Jets players circling, and Jamal Agnew stumbling backwards, he fell over and muffed the punt.
It was immediately picked up on the two-yard line by the Jets, and Breece Hall cashed in a touchdown on the next play. This heartbreaking sequence was made worse when the Falcons lost the game by three points.
One play can never be blamed for a loss, but this is as close as it gets. Later in the interview, Morris stated one of his favorite quotes, "Stats are for losers," after the hosts of 92.9 The Game mentioned Robinson's phenomenal game despite the loss.
Special teams wasn't the only reason for the Falcons' embarrassing loss
Well, stats may be for losers, but statistically speaking, the defense sucked on Sunday. The Falcons' defense watched from the sidelines as Adonai Mitchell enjoyed a breakout game where he caught eight passes for 102 yards and a touchdown.
Entering Sunday, the second-year receiver caught more than two passes in a game three times. He was drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft by the Colts but was traded to New York this past deadline due to underperformance.
Mitchell was the only breakout Jets player, but coupled with the muffed punt and a long kick return, it was enough to beat Atlanta. Agnew's fumble was his third of the season, and second in the last three weeks.
In Week 11 against the Panthers, Agnew muffed a punt that fell out of bounds late in the first quarter. The longtime special teamer is in the midst his worst season since 2021 with the Jaguars. Agnew averages just 7.1 yards per return on punts, and his last special teams touchdown was four years ago.
Over the offseason, the veteran return man signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with Atlanta that seems like a massive waste. His fumble in Week 13 wasn't the only reason for the embarrassing loss, but it certainly aided the efforts for a stagnant offense and a dormant special teams.