LANDOVER, MD — Things had finally – finally – started clicking for the Falcons in the final few minutes of their 19-13 loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
After a very balanced offensive attack in the first two quarters, Atlanta came out of halftime but the game felt different. It felt like it was almost all Washington, all the time… at least until the Falcons final drive of the game.
Up until that final drive, the Falcons offense only accumulated 13 plays. Two three-and-outs sandwiched a seven-play drive that resulted in a 48-yard field goal. Meanwhile, two of the Commanders final drives spanned 13 minutes and 10 points. A key stop defensively, though, brought Atlanta’s offense back onto the field with plenty of time on the clock and all three timeouts.
It was at this point that the Falcons offense began moving the chains.
First Marcus Mariota found Parker Hesse for a nine-yard pick up. Then, he handed it off to Cordarrelle Patterson to get the first down. Then, he rockets one to Olamide Zaccheaus for a 44-yard explosive after slipping in the backfield.
After that? Patterson and Allgeier began feeding off each other as the Falcons worked themselves closer and closer to the goal line, down by six with time on their side.
“I think that was probably our best drive,” Allgeier said. “We were just feeding off each other. Like, oh it’s a good run, (Patterson) starts it off and then I go in, CP goes in, pops a big one.”
Mariota said there was something different about the Falcons in that final drive than in the 13 second-half plays before it.
“I think it came down to the moment,” Mariota said. “You have to go out there and make a play. I thought our guys did a great job of understanding that this is it and you have to go make a play.”
And they did. First with that long completion to Zaccheaus to flip the field. Then, to the running backs and linemen to push the line of scrimmage six plays in a row.
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at News…