In a game that the Atlanta Falcons needed to win to maintain pole position and control their own destiny in the NFC South, the team’s fans were bitterly disappointed when the game went to overtime.
The Falcons were in Landover, Maryland, playing the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football in a game with major playoff implications for both teams that was near the end.
Down 24-17 with less than two minutes remaining, Falcons quarterback Michael Penix connected with tight end Kyle Pitts for a touchdown, and the following extra point tied the game at 24-24. After the Commanders made a quick three-pointer, the Falcons got the ball back with 40 seconds left and a chance to win the game.
Instead, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris made the very questionable and incorrect decision to not take one of his two timeouts, allowing 27 seconds to run off the clock while Atlanta was nowhere near within reach of a field goal
But a late foul put kicker Riley Patterson (in place of the injured Younghoe Koo) on the edge of his range to attempt a 56-yard field goal with two seconds left to win the game. While the kick was on the line, it was missing the leg: it fell three to five yards short of the crossbar, sending the game into overtime.
But that wasn’t noticed by several Falcons fans watching the game at the Live! sports bar. at the Battery Atlanta, located near Truist Park, the home stadium of MLB’s Atlanta Braves.
Falcons fans prematurely celebrated what they thought was a field goal by kicker Riley Patterson, but in reality, the kick landed a few feet short of the uprights, forcing overtime.
In overtime, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels single-handedly won the team the game.
Falcons coach Raheem Morris was criticized for his decision not to call a timeout late in the game.
The video captured the moment Falcons fans began celebrating what they thought was a converted kick.
As smoke billowed in the background, the Falcons faithful jumped for joy and shouted in celebration while everyone watching the game at home knew the kick was too short.
DJ Khaled’s anthem ‘All I Do Is Win’ played for about two seconds before reality set in and confused fans were seen looking up at the giant screen they were watching the game on.
No, Atlanta had not won the game. Instead, extra time arrived. After the Falcons called heads for the overtime coin toss, the toss landed tails and the Commanders took control knowing a touchdown would win them the game.
That’s exactly what happened. Quarterback Jayden Daniels, who had a phenomenal game, proceeded to move down the field single-handedly. The LSU rookie either passed the ball or ran it himself for eleven of the Commanders’ final 12 plays, including a touchdown pass to tight end Zach Ertz to win the game 30-24.
Morris’ decision not to call a timeout was widely criticized: some fans believed that if he had stopped the clock, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. would have had more time and more plays to try to get the team into better position in the game. field.
The victory meant the Commanders clinched the playoffs for the first time since 2020, while the Falcons now have a 15 percent chance of making the NFL postseason.
Atlanta no longer controls its own destiny. They must win their final home game of the season against the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers must lose to the New Orleans Saints for the Falcons to win the division and make the playoffs.