Reeling Falcons keep coming up short in big moments as losing streak hits 5 games

ATLANTA (AP) — For the third straight week, the Atlanta Falcons were in position to win a game late in the fourth quarter.

And for the third straight week, they came up short in a big moment.

Now a season that already looks lost has taken another downturn with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. out for at least four weeks with a left knee injury.

The Carolina Panthers extended Atlanta’s losing streak to five games on Sunday. Bryce Young led the Panthers to a 30-27 overtime win by throwing for a franchise-record 448 yards. Penix left the game in the third quarter, and the team announced Monday he will be placed on injured reserve. Penix is having tests to determine the severity of the injury.

Falcons coach Raheem Morris said Sunday he does not feel he needs to do anything dramatically different to end this trend.

“It’s hard to say that when you keep losing these type of games,” he said. “These games are coming down to one-possession games. You’ve just got to find a way to win it. You’ve got to find a way to do something different to win that football game. You got to find a way to make that play. ‘Dramatic’ would be a little bit over the top when you end games in these close games versus very good football teams. We’ve got to find a way to win these.”

The Patriots, Colts and Panthers are a combined 23-9, yet the 3-7 Falcons had a chance to win the past three weeks. The key mistakes have varied, from a missed extra point and errant shotgun snap against the Patriots, to a defensive failure to hold the Colts on third-and-21 and fourth-and-2 late in the game last week and then the inability to keep the Panthers out of the end zone in the final two minutes on Sunday despite a fourth-and-4 earlier in the drive.

“(We had) a couple different opportunities to find a way to go win those football games,” Morris said. “We keep putting ourselves in position, and we keep coming up short, and that’s got to stop.”

What’s working

Wide receiver Drake London continues to ascend. After being questionable with an illness and back issues, he had seven catches for 119 yards and is third in the NFL in receiving yards per game at 90.

London also drew three penalties against the Panthers before leaving late in the game with a knee injury. London’s connection with Penix has been strong all season. After Kirk Cousins entered the game early in the third quarter, London had just one reception for 6 yards on three targets on the team’s final five possessions.

What needs help

The Falcons held out two of their top three cornerbacks in Dee Alford and Mike Hughes, and the result was a record passing day for Young. One week after allowing 323 rushing yards to the Colts, the Falcons shored that up and gave up just 67 on the ground to the Panthers. But the pass defense allowed 419 passing yards and three touchdowns. Natrone Brooks was beaten for a score by Xavier Legette in the third quarter, and poor tackling by Ronnie Harrison and Billy Bowman Jr. on Tommy Tremble led to the Panthers’ winning field goal in overtime.

Stock up

Zane Gonzalez, the Falcons’ third kicker this season, made a couple of clutch kicks late in the fourth quarter. His 52-yard field goal with 2:43 left gave Atlanta a 24-19 lead. He then sent the game into overtime with a 45-yard field goal with 16 seconds left. He is now 3 for 3 since taking over for Parker Romo, with all three attempts longer than 40 yards.

Stock down

The Falcons offense sputtered when Cousins came into the game in place of an injured Penix. After scoring three touchdowns in the five drives with Penix, the Falcons were limited to just two field goals in five possessions with Cousins.

Injuries

London’s status is week to week with the knee injury. Morris left open the possibility London could return Wednesday and feel better than expected, but the coach expects the team’s top wide receiver to miss at least one week. … Penix already missed a game on Oct. 26 with a bone bruise on the left knee and now could be facing a season-ending injury. … Alford (concussion), Hughes (neck), DE Leonard Floyd (hamstring), DL Zach Harrison (knee) LG Matthew Bergeron (ankle) were inactive.

Key number

4: Four of the Falcons’ past nine losses going back to last season have come in overtime. Atlanta lost its final two games of the 2024 season in overtime to the Commanders and Panthers, and have lost the past two weeks to the Colts and Panthers in OT as well.

Next steps

After facing potential playoff teams in five of their past six games, the Falcons will travel to New Orleans to face the 2-8 Saints on Sunday.

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