It felt like a new brand of Atlanta Falcons football in Sunday’s season opener against the Saints until it didn’t.
The Falcons moved the ball down to the Saints' 4-yard line with a chance to make it a three-possession game early in the 4th quarter. Instead, they settled for a Younghoe Koo field goal to make it a 26-10 ballgame, leaving the door open for a Saints comeback.
The Saints began their next drive in need of a score, and from that point, it was a completely different ballgame. The newly-found pressure applied by the Atlanta front seven was gone in the blink of an eye after racking up four sacks entering the final quarter, the secondary couldn’t contain Michael Thomas and the Saints' weapons, and the Falcons offense never regained its rhythm.
listen: falcons postgame reaction
Jameis Winston struggled for the first 45 minutes at Mercedes Benz Stadium, but after Koo’s fourth field goal of the day, the Saints signal caller turned back the clock to his Heisman Trophy days at Florida State, completing 11 of his next 13 passes for two touchdowns to Thomas who found his All-Pro form. Holding onto a slim 26-24 lead, Marcus Mariota and the Falcons offense needed 1 yard on a 3rd down at the NO 47 to potentially salt the game away. After a bobbled snap, Mariota couldn’t reach the line to gain and the ball went back to the Saints.
On the Saints' first play of the ensuing drive, Winston found Jarvis Landry streaking down the sidelines for 40 yards and despite a wacky intentional grounding call on a spike, the Saints worked it into Will Lutz's range and the Georgia State alum delivered a 51-yard game-winner.
This one will sting for Arthur Smith and the Falcons, and the Saints get the bragging rights in this edition of the rivalry. Fans won’t want to hear this, but the Falcons did some things well just not for long enough.
It’s said that some teams need to learn how to win, and that certainly rings true for the Falcons. Three-quarters worth of positive signs from the defense with sacks from Grady Jarrett, rookie Arnold Ebiketie, Mykal Walker and Lorenzo Carter won’t go unnoticed, but neither will the fact that Winston had all day to throw in the fourth quarter. A.J. Terrell locked down Thomas through three quarters, but Thomas had his number the rest of the way. Mariota managed the offense well and found first-round pick Drake London in key moments, but the quarterback’s fumble in the red zone late in the 3rd with a chance to extend the lead will stand out as a turning point. The offensive line paved the way for Patterson to rush for 120 yards, but couldn’t get a push when they needed it most.
The season opener certainly won’t do anything to quiet the narrative that the Falcons can’t finish; to do that, they’ll have to earn it moving forward. However, the Falcons did show flashes of a team that could have plenty of success if they can put together four quarters of football.
Related
