Falcons 24 – Jets 27 instant recap: Saving a rough loss for a rainy day

The Atlanta Falcons weren’t going to get a much two game stretch than the one against the Saints and Jets, and it represented their last, best hope to claw their way back into the NFC South. Instead, they did what they’ve done so many times in recent years with such aplomb and found a way to lose on a rainy day in New Jersey. With Nick Folks’ 56 yard field goal just squeaking through, Atlanta dropped to 4-8 and their season is officially over. All that’s left is playing out the string and seeing what’s ahead for the franchise.

What more can you really say? When the Falcons needed a stop, they couldn’t get one. When they needed a big play, they got drops, especially on the last critical drive when David Sills and Darnell Mooney both failed to reel in first downs that would have changed the game. And they got weather-aided mistakes that doomed them, from Mike Hughes slipping in coverage to Jamal Agnew muffing a punt the Jets picked up at the two yard line and powered in for their first touchdown. It was an effort that featured some degree of failure in all three phases, and the Falcons lost in embarrassing fashion yet again to a bad team. They need improvement, they need change, and they need to stop subjecting us to this on Sunday afternoons. I’m beyond fed up.

Here’s a drive-by-drive recap of the game you just watched.

1st Quarter

Atlanta got it first, and Jamal Agnew got it back to the 24. Bijan Robinson stumbled his way to seven yards on first down. Bijan then reeled off 11 yards and another first down. He followed that up with four yards, and then Deven Thompkins took a carry for five yards. Then Tyler Allgeier was stopped cold on a toss to lose a yard. Bradley Pinion punted and the Jets had it inside the 15.

Tyrod Taylor threw it on first down to John Metchie, but A.J. Terrell was all over him. A Breece Hall toss got some good blocking and he went for eight yards. On third down, Mason Taylor reeled in a first down grab for about five yards. Taylor hit Taylor again for a first down. Hall then slipped a tackle attempt by LaCale London and picked up three yards. A seeming quality gain saw an ineligible player downfield, backing them up five yards. Taylor then scrambled for a few yards, with two Falcons defenders colliding and Arnold Ebiketie coming up with a slight limp. Taylor then scrambled again and looked like he’d get a first, but the Falcons stopped him just shy of a first down. The Jets punted, and they downed it around the 10.

Encroachment moved the Falcons up five yards. A quick pass to Thompkins picked up 19. Bijan then took it nine yards before rolling it forward for a yard or so. Kirk Cousins was pressured on second down and dirted it. Then he found Kyle Pitts for a first down. A play action pass to Allgeier got four yards. Cousins then forced one in double coverage to Mooney and Mooney couldn’t reel it in. On third down, Cousins tried to tuck and run and got nowhere. Bradley Pinion punted it and it rolled out of bounds at the 5 yard line.

Hall went right into Divine Deablo for a small loss on first down. A quick sideline throw to Adonai Mitchell was stopped after six yards. On third down, Taylor tried a downfield shot with A.J. Terrell in coverage, and Terrell picked up a highly questionable pass interference penalty. They got three yards on first down, James Pearce Jr. looked like he took down Taylor as he spun him around by the jersey, and somehow Taylor got away and threw it away. Mitchell then pulled in the first down pass. Hall then took it four yards on first down.

2nd Quarter

Kentavius Street was down on the field. A handoff to Metchie lost a yard. A low ball to Taylor wasn’t hauled in for an incompletion. Punt, and Jamal Agnew muffed it, with the Jets picking it up at the two yard line. Hall then punched it in on his first carry to make it 7-0 Jets.

Thompkins then took the kickoff to about the 27 yard line. Robinson then ripped off a huge run to take the Falcons past midfield, grabbing 26 yards. Bijan then took a screen pass for nine yards. Robinson was then hit immediately for a loss of two or three yards. Cousins was then sacked again. Punt, and the Jets got it around the 20.

Hall managed to take it seven yards on first down, making David Onyemata miss. On second down, though, Deablo got him for a loss of a yard. Taylor threw it low and it wasn’t caught, so the Jets had to punt again.

Atlanta got nowhere on first down, lost three yards on second down, and then Cousins got Pitts for a first down. On first down, Cousins went for David Sills but the ball was way off. Pitts then caught another one, evaded a defender, and picked up seven yards. Cousins then tried another downfield sideline shot to Dylan Drummond, and it not reeled in. Punt, yet again.

Hall took it about six yards. Hall then got the first down after a missed tackle, but a holding call brought it back. A quick flip from Taylor to Hall lost five more yards. Then Leonard Floyd sacked Taylor, and the Jets punted. Agnew went sideways and fell down on the return.

A delayed handoff gave Bijan room to work with and he ran for nearly 15 yards. Allgeier then plunged ahead for four yards. Robinson took a toss for about two yards. Cousins then hit Pitts for another first down. Bijan then took a plunge for seven yards. Cousins then got Drummond on the sideline to get a first down and stop the clock. Robinson then picked up five more yards. Then Cousins fired one in there for Mooney and he reeled it in for a first down. A shot to Sills in the end zone fell incomplete, but obvious pass interference on the Jets brought the Falcons to the one yard line. Bijan took the handoff and got stopped just shy of a first down. On the next play, Allgeier just bullied his way into the end zone through multiple defenders, finally giving Atlanta a touchdown. 7-7 tie.

The Jets kneeled it out.

3rd Quarter

I went downstairs to get some Christmas lights for the three and the Jets had gained five yards and punted. Unfortunately, that punt was downed inside the 5 yard line.

Allgeier was stopped for a loss of a yard. On second down, though, Allgeier made a nice cut and picked up a first down. Pitts reeled in a seven yard grab on the next play on a play action pass. Bijan then turned one cut into seven yards and a first down. Robinson then caught a pass under duress from Cousins and turned it into 42 yards. A roughing the passer call added 15 more yards. Allgeier then rumbled for six yards. Another quick swing pass to Bijan went for a couple of yards. Robinson then managed to cut the third and 2 carry outside and pick up another touchdown. 14-7 Falcons.

Tyrod Taylor took a big hit from Arnold Ebiketie throwing, but did get Hall. On the next play, Taylor aired it out to AD Mitchell, Mike Hughes slipped, and it was a touchdown. 14-14 tie.

A short return followed to put the Falcons just before the 30. A swing pass to Thompkins picked up three or four yards. Robinson then got a couple of yards on the ground. A quick pass to Pitts went for a mile after he outran multiple defenders for 24 yards. Bijan then changed direction so fast he left a defender in the dust and went for a first down. Allgeier got a couple of yards on first down. Cousins went high under pressure to Bijan, but couldn’t get him. A third and 8 swing pass to Bijan went nowhere. Zane Gonzalez then missed the 50 yard field goal attempt.

Hall was taken down after four yards. Taylor then got Mitchell for 5.5 yards, roughly. They got the first down, and then Taylor took a shot to Taylor that was just too high. A quick shot to Rucker picked up nine yards. A quick Hall run came up just short of a first down to make it 4th and 1, but Glenn challenged the spot. The Jets got a first down after the challenge. A screen to Metchie went for about four yards. Taylor threw it under pressure but Metchie couldn’t catch it. A pass over the middle to Metchie was dropped when Xavier Watts hit him hard. Nick Folk then missed the 55 yard field goal try.

Mooney reeled one in for 16 yards. Robinson then took it three yards, and then picked up two on second down. On third down, Drummond couldn’t reel in the short pass over the middle. Gonzalez hit it from 52 yards out to make it 17-14 Falcons.

4th Quarter

The Jets returned the kick all the way to the 15 yard line before Natrone Brooks made the tackle. Taylor tried to roll out and Ebiketie got him after a couple of yards. Hall then picked up four yards. Taylor then hit a wide open Metchie on third down, but he dropped the ball. The Jets tried to draw the Falcons offsides and failed, with a delay of game backing them up five yards. Nick Folk hit the short field to make it 17-17.

Agnew took the kick back to about the 25. Robinson then was picked up and driven into the turf after no gain, and offsetting penalties led to a first down replay. Robinson then made two defenders miss and picked up seven yards. Bijan then picked up even more on the next play, getting an easy first down and more. Robinson then got a couple of yards on a toss. A play action pass to Pitts went for a first down and about eight yards. A quick swing pass to Allgeier went for 31 yards after Quincy Williams slipped. Allgeier then went nowhere on first down. Cousins then missed Mooney on a shot to the end zone. On the next play, a short pass to Sills resulted in a touchdown when he got a couple of blocks, juked a defender, and rolled in for his second touchdown in two weeks. 24-17 Falcons.

Hall picked up two yards on first down. Metchie then reeled one in from an under-pressure Taylor, picking up seven yards. Hall then powered ahead for a first down. Hall then picked up another six yards, before the Falcons defense swallowed him up on second down for no gain. A false start backed up the Jets five yards. Taylor threw it up for grabs as he was hit, but Allen Lazard reeled it in. Xavier Watts then nearly picked off the end zone shot. Hall then rolled for seven yards. Taylor then had plenty of time to scramble with the Falcons smothering his receiving options and got the first down. Hall then took a toss four yards. Under pressure, Taylor had to throw it away, with James Pearce Jr. nearly getting home. A quick throw to Mitchell got five yards and made it 4th and 1. Taylor then kept it and got the first down. Hall was met at the line of scrimmage by Onyemata for no gain. Taylor then got away from pressure and scrambled for a touchdown. 24-24 tie.

Thompkins took it out almost to the 30. Robinson took it a yard or two on first down. Cousins then was hit and just had to get rid of it. A quick pass to Bijan got four yards, but after review, declared it incomplete and gave the Jets seven extra seconds and more room. Pinion punted it from his own 20 and it rolled inside the 15.

Taylor was sacked by Pearce! A quick pass to Metchie went for a few yards. A pass underneath to Metchie went for five yards before Dee Alford got him. The Jets punted, and Agnew got it at the 34 and was immediately tackled.

A pass to Pitts was broken up on first down. Cousins then tried Sills over the middle, but he dropped it. Then a pass to Mooney was also dropped. Punt.

The Jets got it past the 40 with a solid return. Taylor then scrambled for a first down and then some, setting the Jets up just outside of field goal range with 27 seconds left. A false start on the Jets backed them up five yards. Taylor then got Mitchell for a first down and gave the Jets a shot at a field goal. A shot to Mitchell was a miss, with Alford maybe getting there a little early, but thankfully no flag accompanying it. The Jets got a first down on a low pass to Mitchell and used their final timeout. New York got backed up on another false start on an “everybody but the center.” Taylor had to throw it away with tons of pressure coming, and then threw it away again to set up 4th down and the 56 yard field goal try. Folk barely hit it to seal the 27-24 Jets win.