An answered prayer had the Carolina Panthers on the doorstep of taking over first place in the NFC South as DJ Moore hauled in a Hail Mary from PJ Walker with :12 left at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. But a monumental mistake from Moore left the door open for an eventual Falcons victory.
Moore, the fifth-year wide receiver, made a rookie mistake by ripping his helmet off as he celebrated the score and was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. With his point-after try pushed back 15 yards, Eddy Pineiro missed it wide left and saved the Falcons from enduring the pain of another blown lead.
Pineiro had a chance at redemption in overtime after the Panthers' defense picked off Marcus Mariota, but it was more of the same on a 33-yarder.
The Falcons wouldn’t squander their final opportunity to escape with a victory as Younghoe Koo would nail a 41-yarder to seal a 37-34 victory.
With the win, the Falcons move to 4-4 on the season while Moore and Pineiro’s mistakes drop Carolina to 2-6.
