NFL

Atlanta Falcons at Las Vegas Raiders

· National Football League
7-7, 4-3 Away
Final
15 - 9
2-12, 1-5 Home

Cousins and Falcons do just enough to beat Raiders 15-9 and keep pace with Bucs in NFC South

Stephen A.: This will be Kirk Cousins' last year in Atlanta

The Raiders had two passes into the end zone. Two passes to steal a victory and hand Atlanta a considerable setback to its playoff hopes.

Desmond Ridder's first attempt was incomplete and his second was intercepted by Jessie Bates III, allowing Atlanta to escape Las Vegas with a 15-9 victory Monday night and keep pace in the NFC South.

The Falcons (7-7) ended a four-game losing streak to remain a game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Atlanta owns the head-to-head tiebreaker in a close race with three games remaining.

“That’s where you want to be, and that’s exactly where we’re at,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “We’ve got a short week. We’ve got to get back in the lab. We’ve got to find ways to fix what we did wrong tonight and come out and get another win.”

Atlanta has a favorable remaining schedule, facing two teams with a combined five wins that sandwich a trip to 9-5 Washington. Tampa Bay has a similar finishing stretch.

A potential No. 1 overall draft pick rather than playoff scenarios make up most of the conversation regarding Las Vegas (2-12). The Raiders lost their 10th consecutive game, the NFL's longest active skid, and are tied with the New York Giants for the league's worst record. It is the fifth-longest skid in Raiders history, and worst since dropping 16 straight a decade ago.

Kirk Cousins entered with no touchdown passes and eight interceptions over his previous four starts, raising questions about whether rookie Michael Penix Jr. would take over at quarterback for Atlanta. Morris stuck by Cousins — who signed a four-year, $180 million contract this year — over the eighth pick in the NFL draft.

Cousins did little to assuage concerns about his play, passing for just 112 yards with an interception. His 30-yard pass to a wide-open Drake London with 14 seconds left in the first quarter to put Atlanta ahead 7-0 was his first touchdown toss since firing three of them Nov. 3 in a 27-21 victory over the Dallas Cowboys.

“He's got to play better,” Morris said.

Cousins didn't disagree.

“It's stating the obvious," he said.

The Falcons got the rest of their points on two field goals from Younghoe Koo and a safety by defensive lineman Zach Harrison.

Bijan Robinson rushed for 125 yards and London caught three passes for 53 yards to give him 219 career receptions. London passed Calvin Ridley's 217 catches for most in Falcons history over a player's first three seasons.

Atlanta prevented Ridder from putting a dent in its playoff plans. Ridder, who started 13 games for the Falcons last season before he was traded to Arizona, was stymied most of the night in his first start this season. In replacing Aidan O'Connell, inactive because of a bruised left knee, Ridder passed for 208 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

Ridder again downplayed the emotions of playing against his former team, emphasizing this was more about the Raiders than him.

“We were never able to find a rhythm until late in the game,” he said. “By then, it's too little, too late.”

The injury-riddled Raiders gained just 249 yards, and they have trailed by double digits in all 14 games this season.

O'Connell wasn't the only player missing. Defensive end Maxx Crosby announced Saturday he would be undergoing season-ending ankle surgery, and the Raiders were without about half their starting lineup on defense.

Las Vegas also lost running back Sincere McCormick, who had recently become the starter, to an ankle injury early in the second quarter.

Even so, the Raiders nearly rallied to win.

Ridder's 5-yard touchdown pass to running back Ameer Abdullah with 2:54 left brought Las Vegas within six. The extra point was blocked, the third time the Falcons got their hands on a Raiders punt or kick.

After getting the ball back for a last-gasp drive, the Raiders converted a fourth-and-8 from their 34-yard line to eventually set up Ridder's two shots into the end zone.

“Desmond did a good job throwing it up there,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “It’s a jump-ball situation.”

Up next Falcons: Host the New York Giants on Sunday.

Raiders: Host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday.

How can I watch Falcons vs. Raiders?

  • TV Channel: Falcons at Raiders 2021-22 NFL, week 15 is broadcasted nationally on ESPN.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
    In Canada, viewers can watch Falcons vs. Raiders on DAZN.

Matchup Prediction

Raiders: 42.6%
Falcons: 57.0%
*According to ESPN's Football Power Index

Scoring Summary

ATL TD 1st Period 0:14 Drake London 30 Yd pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo Kick)
LV FG 2nd Period 11:44 Daniel Carlson 52 Yd Field Goal
ATL FG 2nd Period 5:35 Team Safety
ATL FG 3rd Period 9:25 Younghoe Koo 40 Yd Field Goal
ATL FG 4th Period 13:26 Younghoe Koo 48 Yd Field Goal
LV TD 4th Period 2:54 Ameer Abdullah 5 Yd pass from Desmond Ridder (Daniel Carlson PAT blocked)

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nfl/500/atl.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originATL https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nfl/500/lv.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originLV
14 1st Downs 16
6 Passing 1st downs 11
7 Rushing 1st downs 5
1 1st downs from penalties 0
4-13 3rd down efficiency 4-14
0-0 4th down efficiency 2-2
57 Total Plays 65
261 Total Yards 249
4.6 Yards per Play 3.8
11 Total Drives 12
93 Passing 184
11/17 Comp/Att 23/39
4.7 Yards per pass 4.3
1 Interceptions thrown 2
3-19 Sacks-Yards Lost 4-24
168 Rushing 65
37 Rushing Attempts 22
4.5 Yards per rush 3.0
0-0 Red Zone (Made-Att) 1-1
6-30 Penalties 7-55
1 Turnovers 3
0 Fumbles lost 1
1 Interceptions thrown 2
0 Defensive / Special Teams TDs 0
33:52 Possession 26:08

Game Information

Allegiant Stadium

Location: Las Vegas, NV
Attendance: 62,364 · Capacity:

2024 NFC South Standings

TEAM W L PCT T PF PA
Atlanta 8 7 .533 0 327 349
Tampa Bay 8 7 .533 0 427 352
New Orleans 5 10 .333 0 309 346
Carolina 4 11 .267 0 283 448

2024 AFC West Standings

TEAM W L PCT T PF PA
Kansas City 14 1 .933 0 356 278
Los Angeles 9 6 .600 0 328 274
Denver 9 6 .600 0 363 281
Las Vegas 3 12 .200 0 264 390
Full Standings

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