The Atlanta Falcons won on December 16 for the first time in 43 days, beating the Las Vegas Raiders 15-9. But that doesn't mean Falcons fans or pundits were feeling any better about the team.
In fact, they conveyed a lot more troublesome opinions on social media about the status of the team after the Falcons needed to defend a 35-yard pass attempt in the final seconds to defeat one of the worst teams in the NFL.
The Falcons blocked two punts and an extra point. Punter Bradley Pinion pinned the Raiders inside their own 10-yard line four times. On one of those ocassions, the Falcons defense tackled Las Vegas running back Alex Mattison in the end zone to record a safety.
Atlanta's defense shinned, as the Falcons held the Raiders to 106 total yards through the first three quarters.
But a lot of the same problems that have plagued the Falcons over the past month and a half, particularly at quarterback and kicker, were issues again in Week 15. Then, the Las Vegas offense woke up in the fourth quarter.
Cousins went 11 for 17 with 112 passing yards. He ended his touchdown-less streak with a score to Drake London in the first quarter. But he also had an interception and took 3 sacks.
Cousins' interception came on the only first-down pass he attempted the whole night.
While the Falcons defense intercepted former Atlanta quarterback Desmond Ridder twice, Ridder averaged 9.7 yards per attempt with 145 passing yards in the fourth quarter. The Falcons were in prevent defense for much of the fourth, so Ridder had easier completions.
But things got too close for comfort for Falcons fans. Ridder had the Raiders 35 yards away from tying the game with 10 seconds left.
Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier carried the Falcons offense, as they combined for 168 rushing yards. But that wasn't enough to take advantage of the great field position the defense and special teams provided the Falcons throughout the night.
With the win, though, the Falcons did get back to the .500 mark. At 7-7, they are one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with three weeks remaining in the regular season.
