Falcons Eliminated From NFL Playoffs Race With Loss at Bills
The afternoon started well for the Atlanta Falcons. A halftime lead over the Buffalo Bills and the Philadelphia Eagles losing early were good omens for the Falcons' faint playoff hopes.
Neither lasted.
The Bills kept the ball on the ground and ran away in the second half to beat Atlanta 29-15 in Buffalo. The Falcons dropped to 7-9 and were eliminated from NFC playoff contention.
Behind three interceptions and a safety, the Falcons led 15-14 with 12 minutes remaining in the third quarter. But at that point, the Bills simplified their offensive attack. They attempted only six passes in the second half.
A lot of the running came from quarterback Josh Allen, who finished with 81 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Devin Singletary also dominated on the ground, leading the Bills with 110 rushing yards on 23 carries. He also scored two touchdowns.
The Bills ran for 233 yards, averaging 5.3 yards per rush. That's the most rushing yards the Falcons yielded this season.
The run defense spoiled a tremendous first half from the Atlanta secondary. Duron Harmon intercepted Allen in the end zone to keep the Falcons out of a bigger hole in the second quarter.
Cornerback AJ Terrell then intercepted Allen to give Atlanta another possession just before halftime.
Linebacker Foye Oluokun, who made the key pick last week to secure the victory against the Detroit Lions, intercepted Allen on the first possession of the third quarter.
Running back Mike Davis and tight end Kyle Pitts made big plays during the second-quarter surge. Davis rushed for his third touchdown of the season, and Pitts hauled in a season-long 61-yard catch.
With 69 receiving yards, Pitts broke the Falcons' single-season rookie receiving record.
But Pitts was limited in the second half because of a hamstring injury. Without him at full strength, the Falcons had less than 10 yards of offense in the third quarter.
Despite the 15-14 halftime lead, the Falcons missed opportunities in the first half and early in the third quarter to extend their advantage.
The Falcons recorded a safety on a botched Buffalo punt return. The Bills fumbled the punt but recovered it in the end zone. Had Atlanta recovered the fumble, it would have been a touchdown.
Following the third Allen interception, the Falcons took over at the Buffalo 25-yard line. But Atlanta was unable to extend its lead after losing seven yards on the drive. Out of field goal range in the bad weather conditions, the Falcons punted.
The Bills leaned on their running game from that point forward.
Any chance of an Atlanta comeback ended when Matt Ryan appeared to score a fourth-quarter touchdown. After the touchdown, officials called Ryan for a taunting penalty.
Upon review, Ryan's knee was ruled down at the 1-yard line. With the 15-yard taunting penalty, the Falcons' next play was third-and-goal at the Buffalo 16. Two incompletions on the next two plays led to a turnover on downs.
The Falcons will finish with a losing record for the fourth straight year. Atlanta plays host to the New Orleans Saints next week in the season finale. ... with the hope that the positives are something to build upon.
Said Harmon: "Hopefully (the young players) use it as some type of motivation to get back to this point of playing in meaningful football in December and January."
