The Atlanta Falcons (4-9) dropped their ninth game of the season on Sunday, a 20-17 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers (4-9) on a last-second field goal by kicker Mike Badgley.
Quarterback Matt Ryan threw two interceptions in the fourth quarter as Atlanta squandered multiple chances to win the game. Here’s a quick recap of the Falcons’ offense, defense and special teams performances on Sunday against the Chargers.
OFFENSE
Calvin Ridley and Russell Gage carried the load for Atlanta on Sunday. Following a three-and-out to open the game, the Falcons went into their bag of tricks and came out with a 39-yard touchdown pass from Gage to Ridley.
For much of the game, Atlanta’s offense seemed to do enough. Two uncharacteristic turnovers from Ryan killed promising fourth-quarter drives. Despite passing Peyton Manning in passing yards through a player’s first 13 seasons, Ryan finished with 224 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions.
On the bright side, Ridley topped 1,000 yards in the first half, and Gage made a number of big plays. Ridley finished with eight catches, 124 yards and a touchdown. Gage caught five passes for 82 yards, along with his touchdown pass in the first quarter.
Ito Smith led the way for the third straight week, with 42 rushing yards on 11 carries. Todd Gurley ran just six times for 19 yards on the ground.
DEFENSE
Grady Jarrett played a very good game on the inside and rookie CB A.J. Terrell was sharp for most of the afternoon. Terrell made several open-field tackles and outside of a few plays by Chargers WR Keenan Allen, it was a solid performance.
The defense struggled with screen passes. Too many good initial rushes by Atlanta’s front seven weren’t capitalized on, allowing rookie QB Justin Herbert to recover and find open receivers.
Foye Oluokun continues to a be a bright spot each and every week. He came up with a big sack in the fourth quarter to give the Falcons the ball back. Blidi-Wreh Wilson intercepted Herbert with the game tied in the fourth quarter, but it was nullified quickly by another Ryan pick.
The defense didn’t lose the game, but could have played better in big moments.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Younghoe Koo looked to be seconds away from a game-winning kick in regulation, but never got the shot after another Ryan interception. Koo went on to bolster his Pro Bowl campaign, making his one field-goal attempt and both extra points.
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