The Atlanta Falcons narrowly fell in Week 1 against the Buccaneers, and the 23-20 loss continued a painful trend. Year after year we have seen the Dirty Birds find themselves in countless games where they’ve led in the fourth quarter or have been in position to win late, but faltered.
Closing out games has been Atlanta’s most damning trait over the past few seasons. Leads evaporate, momentum swings, and confidence drains the second the fourth quarter arrives. Against the Buccaneers, it was more of the same—and after ranking the Falcons’ 22nd in his most recent power rankings, Bleacher Report’s Kris Knox sees that as their biggest concern.
“However, the Falcons also failed to run the ball with any consistency, and their defense disappeared on Tampa's final go-ahead drive,” Knox wrote. “If Atlanta wants to be taken seriously, it has to learn to close.”
The Falcons will need to be razor-sharp to avoid a late-game collapse against the Vikings.
Fortunately, Raheem Morris’ group received some good news. Drake London might be day-to-day, but he is expected to play on Sunday Night in Minnesota after suffering a sprained shoulder in the fourth quarter against the Bucs.
London and Darnell Mooney should be abc in the lineup to provide Michael Penix Jr and the offense the punch they need to give Minnesota’s strong secondary a fit—and should help stabilize the run game return that struggled in Week 1.
While the Falcons collapsed late, their Week 2 opponents did the exact opposite. The Vikings trailed 21-6 at the start of the fourth quarter, and scored three touchdowns in the frame to spoil Ben Johnson’s head coaching debut,
After throwing a pick-six in the third quarter, JJ McCarthy bounced back to score three times in the final 13 minutes as the Vikings took down the Bears. For now Bears' signees Drew Dalman and Grady Jarrett, it felt like a page exactly out of the Dirty Birds' playbook.
For Atlanta, the lesson is clear: mistakes that don’t matter in the first three quarters become critical in the fourth. Between McCarthy and Penix Jr, this game has shootout potential which will require the team
Jeff Ulbrich’s defense looked stout early, but could not contain Baker Mayfield when they needed a stop. Despite A.J. Terrell locking up Mike Evans, Mayfield connected with rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka for two touchdowns and the lead shattered. And the team's rookie pass-rushers hardly got home.
All Atlanta needed was one field goal to force overtime, and Younghoe Koo couldn’t convert from 44 yards out. Some mistakes are unforced, others aren’t, but the outcome remains the same: Atlanta must learn composure when clutch situations require them—or the end to that playoff drought will have to wait another year.