By Don Stone - Football
Atlanta
When fans looked at this game at the start of the season, it looked like a
really intriguing match up of likely playoff teams. We all know the kind of
13-3 season the Falcons were coming off of. But, the Redskins did well in
2012 as well and would have been even better if rookie quarterback
Robert Griffin III
had not been lost to a bad leg injury late in the season. But, 2013 would
see his triumphant return.
Not really. RG3 has had problems all season and the team resembles the
Tampa Bay Bucs of September with front office turmoil and talks of changing
the head coach.
Mike Shanahan
added fuel to the fire this week when he decided to bench his star QB for
the rest of the season just to make sure he didn't get hurt any more.
Starting in his place will be backup quarterback
Kurt Cousins.
Both teams are off to 3-10 starts. Some would say this is a battle for
the top draft choice in 2014. Others would view it as a way to finish a bad
season on a high note. It may be the only winnable game Atlanta has
remaining on their schedule with the last two coming against potential
playoff teams at San Francisco, and against Carolina.
Some had been suggesting that the Falcons were tanking the season to
improve their lot in the draft. They would have a tough time making that
argument the way the team started this game. Atlanta got the ball first at
their 17 and converted a third and 7 with a pass to
Darius Johnson. Another third and long
resulted in a nice 19 yard completion to
Roddy White
at their 41. On a third and three,
Matt Ryan
went to White again to the Washington 39. Atlanta converted its fourth first
down of the drive, this time on a holding penalty. Another first came with 8
more to White and a short gain by
Stephen Jackson. Ryan found
Tony Gonzalez
for 15 yards to the three. Jackson got the rest as he flatted a defender on
the way to the end zone for a 7-0 lead. An impressive 83 yard drive
reminiscent of those fans got used to seeing last season, no so much this
year.
The Redskins started their drive converting a third of their own with a
sharp connection to their own #88, TE
Pierre Garcon. As Cousins was falling
down trying to avoid a sack, he flung the ball 11 yards to WR
Joshua Morgan
taking them to their 44. The Atlanta defense ended the progress as
Jonathan Babineaux
got a sack that forced a fumble giving Atlanta the ball at the Skins 36.
Gonzalez got a first with an 8 yard catch at the thirteen, then got to do
his goal post slam dunk with a touchdown catch making it 14-0.
Cousins started the next drive with a first down pass to WR
Nick Williams
then nine more to Garcon. But the drive really took off when RB
Alfred Morris
broke free fro 36 yards to the Falcons 23. Cousins continued the momentum
with a 23 yard TD pass to TE
Fred Davis
to cover half the deficit. The drive took just six plays 80 yards in just
3:04.
Jacquizz Rodgers
gave Atlanta good field position with a 33 yard kickoff return to the 27 as
the first quarter came to an end.
Harry Douglas
brought in his first catch for 12 to the 41. It appeared that LB
Brian Orakpo
ended the drive with a nine yard sack loss. But
Santana Moss
fumbled the punt with the Falcons recovering at the nine yard line. Jackson
bounced off defenders for 11 yards to the three. The red zone came up and
bit Atlanta again as they couldn't get any further and had to settle for
three on a
Matt Bryant
20 yard field goal. The Skins were down 17-7 with the difference being the
10 points given up on turnovers. But it should have been worse.
A bizarre series of plays began as the DC offense picked up where they
left off with a quick 62 yard pass to WR
Aldrick Robinson
all the way to the Falcons 18. But the Redskins couldn't stand a bit of
prosperity as they coughed the ball up again with Babineaux scooping it up
to the AF37. On the next play, a Ryan sack forced another fumble with
Washington getting it back at the 36.
Flags were flying all over the place on the next play but, the big news
was still another turnover, again by Moss. Atlanta got the ball back with an
unnecessary roughness penalty moving it back to their five. But, better than
the alternative. Three turnovers in a matter of two minutes. Neither team
acted like they wanted the hot potato.
The turnovers were not done as Ryan fumbled the ball forward but it was
ruled in incomplete forward pass. The Falcons had to kick it away to Moss,
who held onto the ball this time but in great field position at their 41.
The coaches continued to show confidence in the slippery fingered Moss
with an 11 yard first down completion into Falcons territory. Cousins hit
Garcon for 53 yards deep to make it a three point game, 17-14. Another quick
score on a drive that took just over a minute.
The Falcons' went three and out for the second straight time giving the
Redskins a shot at taking the lead for the first time with 4:36 left in the
half. Moss took the punt at the Washington 32 yard line. Morris started on
the ground with a pair of 8 yard rushes. Garcon continued getting free, this
time for 27 to the Falcons 30. Barring another fumble, the game looked like
it would at least be tied at the half, but a holding call backed them out of
field goal range to the 40.
Morris got them half of what they needed on a first and twenty back to
the 30, then scampered for 15 more to the 15 with a little over a minute to
go. But, a tie was all they could get on a 33 yard
Kai Forbath
field goal. But, given all the mistakes and the 14 point deficit, the
Redskins had to be happy with the way the scoreboard looked.
Last year, Atlanta with less than a minute to go, would have moved the
ball downfield to get at least a field goal before time ran out. This year,
Ryan threw an interception giving Washington still another chance to take
the lead with the ball at the Falcons 38 and 35 seconds to go. Cousins got
them to within field goal range with a seven yard pass to Moss as they
called their second time out with 21 seconds remaining. They got a first
down at the 24 as the QB spiked the ball to stop the clock at 7 seconds.
Time for one play to hand the ball off to RB
Roy Helu, Jr.
to set up a go ahead 37 yard field goal. It was 20-17 at the half.
As third quarter began, Atlanta had to be aware of their well documented
second half woes this season. Washington had an opportunity to
continue the momentum getting the ball first in the second half, but
squandered it with a three and out. The Falcons got the ball in good shape
when CB
Robert McClain
returned the punt 25 yards to their 42. A facemask penalty, though, backed
them 15 yards to their 34. A nice reception by Rodgers got them the 15 back
to their 49. Douglas converted with a six yard catch into Skins territory. A
pass interference call got them 22 more. White moved it 7 yards closer on
his first catch since the first quarter. Twelve more yards on a pass to
Gonzalez got them to the eight. With that catch, the tight end became the
fifth player in NFL history to have 15,000 yards receiving joining
Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens, Randy Moss
and
Isaac Bruce.
A fourth and goal at the one had Atlanta going for it and failing. Many
would second guess Mike Smith for not
taking the points only down by three. But, if the defense could hold,
Atlanta would get the ball back inside the 50 as Washington took over at the
one.
The moved worked as Cousins gave the ball back again on a William
Moore interception at the 16, returning it to
a first and goal back where they started at the two. This time, Jackson
crossed the goal line to put Atlanta back in front 24-20. The visitors'
turnovers had so far accounted for 17 of Atlanta's 24 points.
Momentum seemed to have shifted, as Washington again went three and out,
although it was still anybody's game.
It was announced that OLB Sean Weatherspoon,
already plagued with injuries this season,
had suffered a knee injury with his return to the game questionable.
Atlanta took over after the punt at their 23. Rodgers got them a quick
first down on an 11 yard carry. The Redskins needed to stop the bleeding and
the mistakes or the Falcons would be up by eleven and they would be on their
way to a 3-11 start. A defensive holding call wasn't what they had in mind,
giving Atlanta another first down at their 42. But, Atlanta had their share
of shoot yourself in the foot moments, as most 3-10 teams do when they got a
15 yard clipping call taking the drive back to the 27. Ryan eluded a pass
rush and hit Johnson for ten, then White for 12, but it wasn't enough as
they punted. The Redskins took their turn at the 15.
Whatever magic Washington had in their offense, was missing in the third
quarter ad they again couldn't get anywhere on their drive. A 47 yard punt
gave Atlanta good starting position at their 36. But, another miscue with an
unnecessary roughness foul moving them back to an ordinary start at the 22.
Another Ryan sack vanquished Atlanta's chances and the third quarter.
For the first time since the second quarter, the Redskins had a first
down thanks to a pair of Morris carries. They got 16 more on a quick pass to
Moss at the Falcons 42. Garcon got back into action with a 14 yard catch,
then 11 more to the 17. Morris picked up six on the ground to the 11. But,
again, prosperity. Again, fumble. Steven Nicholas
and Babineaux combined to get the ball back at the 21.
Atlanta's four point lead was safe for the moment with 8:39 on the clock.
The Falcons began moving with a 13 yard catch by Douglas, but that's all
they could get. DC was given still another chance. With all of the fumbles
and interceptions and penalties, amazingly, they could still win the game
with a score as they began maybe their final drive of the game at their 18
yard line with 5:45 to go.
But, there are just so many turnovers you can overcome. They added
another when rookie corner Desmond Trufant
picked off Cousins at the Skins' 40. Would that be the final blow? That
would depend on the Falcons' offense. If that's what you were counting on,
you would be disappointed as Ryan and company could do nothing and punted
after eating up just over a minute of clock. They were at least able to tack
on three with a 51 yard Bryant field goal to make the difference seven.
Again, Washington had a shot to tie it. But did they have it in them
after all of the mistakes? Would the Falcons handle the prosperity
themselves or give up a last minute lead like they did at Miami?
The Redskins needed 80 yards and probably Garcon to reappear. He got six,
then Robinson added eleven for a first down at their 40. The two minute
warning had them with a third and six at their 44 with probably two plays to
get the needed yardage and stay alive. They got the first with eleven to
Robinson into Falcons territory, then ten more to Joshua Morgan.
Another first down to Moss at the 21. But, only 35 seconds were left. A
sloppy tackle by safety Zeke Motta
allowed Moss to squeeze out another first at the 10. The Redskins would get
the touchdown they needed. But, rather than kick the extra point to send it
into overtime, Shanahan chose to go for the win with a two point conversion.
Didn't work. If he's trying to get fired, that bonehead move might do it.
The Falcons would win by default, 27-26. The fans who were rooting for
Atlanta to lose...and I know there were many, left disappointed, especially
when they checked the scores and saw Houston, Jacksonville and Tampa Bay all
lose.
And, oh, by the way, for the draft watchers, the victory also moved the
Redskins ahead of the Falcons. |
