Let’s start at the end, shall we?
Eight weeks into the 2022 season, the Atlanta Falcons (4-4) are alone in first place in the NFC South after Younghoe Koo’s 41-yard field goal in overtime gave the Dirty Birds an unlikely 37-34 victory over the Carolina Panthers (2-6).
It was over. DJ Moore got behind the Falcons' defense on a 62-yard Hail Mary with :12 left and all the Panthers needed to complete a stunning victory at Mercedes Benz Stadium was an extra point. Then, Moore took his helmet off during his celebration and got flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, and all of sudden, things were just getting started.
The 15-yard penalty pushed Eddy Pineiro’s point-after attempt back, and he missed it wide left to open the door back up for Atlanta.
The Falcons got the ball to start the overtime period, but just like the game’s opening possession, it ended with a Marcus Mariota interception as CJ Henderson brought it back to the Atlanta 20-yard line, and once again, it felt like it was over…until it wasn’t. Pineiro missed a chip-shot 33-yarder to give the Falcons another chance to steal a victory from the jaws of defeat, and they wouldn’t squander it again. Mariota picked up 30 yards on a 3rd and 1 as part of an 8-play drive to set Koo up for the game-winner.
Mariota delivered what he hoped was a game-winning drive in regulation finding Damiere Byrd for a 47-yard touchdown—his second in as many weeks—with 2:14 left to give Atlanta a 31-28 lead after Carolina had jumped on top thanks to D'Onta Foreman’s third touchdown of the day. After forcing a turnover on downs, Koo would give Atlanta a 34-28 lead before the aforementioned Hail Mary sequence to send the game to OT.
The end of regulation managed to upstage the end of the first half as Lorenzo Carter’s pick-six—his second TD of the year—gave Atlanta a 14-10 lead heading into the locker room before the roller-coaster of scoring in the second half.
Lost in the shuffle of an incredible finish was another strong performance on the ground by Atlanta with 167 rushing yards. Caleb Huntley's 91 yards led the way. Mariota added 49 of his own and Tyler Allgeier had 39, but it was the rookie’s 25-yard touchdown reception in the 3rd quarter that highlights his day.
Perhaps the most noteworthy stat of the day from the Falcons' offense is the fact that Kyle Pitts not only had a touchdown—a red zone target in the 2nd quarter—but the second-year TE led the team with 5 catches for 80 yards on the afternoon. The picks weren’t ideal, but Mariota ended the day going 20 of 28 for 253 yards and 3 scores while also showcasing his ability to extend plays in crucial situations.
The Falcons' woes in the secondary were no secret coming into the matchup without AJ Terrell, and while the patchwork unit held up early on, PJ Walker and the Panthers were able to find a rhythm through the air in the second half. Walker threw for 317 yards while completing 19 of 36 attempts. Foreman’s three touchdowns were accompanied by 118 yards on 26 carries.
This is hardly the first nail-biting finish for the Falcons this season, but on Mariota’s 29th birthday, we’ll say this one takes the cake and the division lead is the icing. Next up is a matchup with the Chargers at Mercedes Benz where the Falcons are now 3-1 before hitting the road for a rematch with the Panthers, and it’s hard to imagine that one living up to the level of drama we saw today.