If there was one team that was going to see its season impacted by the new taunting rules, it was probably going to be the Atlanta Falcons. They simply can’t catch a break, ever.
The Falcons — despite being an objectively bad football team — went into Sunday’s Week 17 game in Buffalo with a slim (but not impossible) chance of making the playoffs. They needed a win over the Bills and some help from the Eagles and Niners. And with just over five minutes to go in the game, it appeared that Matt Ryan trimmed the deficit to a touchdown with a scramble into the end zone.
But alas, a laughable combination of NFL rules would essentially end the Falcons’ season.
Wild series of events in Buffalo: #Falcons QB Matt Ryan was ruled down at the 1 here, but he was flagged for taunting, pushing Atlanta back to the 16-yard line on third and goal. Ensuing pass attempts were incomplete.
pic.twitter.com/K8oclFiNFk— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) January 2, 2022
After the touchdown, Ryan exchanged some words with the Bills’ Jordan Poyer and was called for a taunting penalty because the NFL hates fun. At first, the taunting penalty wasn’t going to be costly — Falcons got their touchdown. The taunting was after the play.
About that ….
The touchdown went to review during the commercial break, and it was ruled that Ryan started his dive and was down shy of the end zone. So, the touchdown was wiped away, but the taunting penalty on Ryan would stand. The would-be touchdown became third-and-goal from the 16, and the Falcons would turn the ball over on downs.
That sequence ended up being enough to deflate any hope of a Falcons comeback. Atlanta would lose, 29-15, and officially get eliminated from playoff contention.
And, of course, it happened in the most Falcons way possible.
[mm-video type=video id=01fre7bs19x461q4d3wt playlist_id=01f09m93q11d4tbgfy player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01fre7bs19x461q4d3wt/01fre7bs19x461q4d3wt-06e12661f28f63e2da4508eab79da711.jpg]