Charean Williams ,
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The Falcons led the Rams 21-0 at halftime, and yet, they had to rally to win. But a win is a win is a win. . . .
Zane Gonzalez, who had a field goal blocked by Jared Verse and returned for a touchdown earlier in the game, kicked a 51-yarder with 21 seconds left to give the Falcons a 27-24 victory.
The Rams fell to 11-5 with a second consecutive loss, while the Falcons won their third consecutive game to move to 7-9.
No one was celebrating more than the Panthers, who will win the NFC South with a Falcons’ victory over the Saints next week regardless how they do against Tampa Bay on Saturday.
The Rams had three great chances to get in position to tie it or win it in the final seconds after Gonzalez’s field goal: Matthew Stafford missed a wide-open Xavier Smith on first down; officials then missed a blatant interference penalty on Falcons defensive back Dee Alford on wide receiver Tutu Atwell with 10 seconds left that would have set up a chip-shot field goal; and Puka Nacua nearly made a miraculous one-handed catch that would have had the Rams in field-goal range with five seconds left.
Instead, the Falcons closed it out.
Bijan Robinson rushed 22 times for 195 yards, including a 93-yard touchdown run that gave the Falcons a 21-0 halftime lead. He also caught five passes for 34 yards and a touchdown.
Kirk Cousins was 13-of-20 for 126 yards and a touchdown.
It was a second consecutive gut-wrenching, heart-breaking loss for the Rams. They blew the last game they played, failing to hold onto a 30-14 fourth-quarter lead in a 38-37 loss to the Seahawks 11 days ago. It cost them a shot at the NFC West title and the No. 1 overall seed.
The Rams opened Monday Night Football as if they had a hangover from that game.
They rallied with 21 consecutive points in the second half. Terrance Ferguson caught a 27-yard touchdown pass; Verse blocked Gonzalez’s 37-yard try and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown; and Nacua had an 11-yard touchdown run. The Falcons, though, had 2:46 left to go win it after Nacua’s run tied it 24-24.
Stafford, a leading MVP candidate, threw three interceptions after throwing only five in the first 15 games. Jessie Bates returned one 34 yards for a touchdown, the 32nd pick-six in Stafford’s career to tie him with Brett Favre for the most in NFL history.
Xavier Watts had the other two interceptions of Stafford, one of which set up a touchdown.
Nacua had receptions of 36 and 41 yards overturned by penalties on backup left tackle D.J. Humphries. Humphries, who started for injured starter Alaric Jackson, had an illegal formation penalty that negated a Stafford-to-Nacua pass to the Atlanta 2 in the first half.
Humphries’ holding penalty in the fourth quarter nullified a touchdown by Nacua, though Nacua tied the game only four plays later on his 11-yard run.
Stafford was 22-of-38 for 269 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Kyren Williams rushed for 92 yards on 13 carries, and Nacua had five catches for 47 yards.
The Rams can still secure the No. 5 seed with a win over the Cardinals and a 49ers’ loss to the Seahawks.
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