Atlanta Falcons They looked like they had some more magic in the fourth quarter, but Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton pulled the curtain down on that in a 22-17 win and remain undefeated into the start of the 2024 season.
Kirk Cousins and the Falcons had less than two minutes left to play, and they needed to find the end zone, as they had been unable to do so on the previous drive. Chief,
After not being able to score on third and 1 on Kansas City’s 13-yard line, the Falcons moved into good position again with a run play on fourth and inches, and usually Bijan Robinson is able to pick up that crucial yardage.
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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney (1) is tackled by Kansas City Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton (32) in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis-Imagine Images)
However, when Bolton saw the play was on, he moved quickly and tackled Robinson for three yards, giving the Falcons a fumble.
This cooled the game down for the Chiefs, because patrick mahomes Just took a knee for his remaining snaps to move to 3-0. The Falcons are now 1-2 on the season.
A key moment in this game came on third-and-5 from the Kansas City 6-yard line on the previous drive, when Cousins was looking for Kyle Pitts in the middle of the end zone after he initially beat his defender from the goal line.
As Cousins threw the pass, Pitts jumped into the air to make the catch, but it appeared that Brian Cook made contact with Pitts too early. However, there was no flag on the field and the Chiefs took a break.
On fourth and six, the Falcons failed to convert a touchdown when Cousins’ pass to Drake London, who had scored earlier in the game, was intercepted. So, trailing 22–17, the Falcons had to give the ball back to the Chiefs after a 15-play drive.
It was a great start for the Falcons, who were coming off a thrilling win over the Philadelphia Eagles on “Monday Night Football,” as Cousins orchestrated a 70-yard drive for a touchdown on the team’s opening drive this week.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) fumbles a snap against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Dale Zanin-Imagen Images)
London, the player whom Cousins had used in a come-from-behind win against the Eagles in Week 2, was left open in the end zone after a lapse in coverage by the Chiefs and it was the easiest score in the NFL, making it 7-0 after Younghoe Koo’s extra point.
But Mahomes was able to tie the Falcons on the scoreboard when he found Rashy Rice, his new favorite target in red and yellow each week, for a 13-yard touchdown.
However, the Cougars were able to quickly respond to the Chiefs, thanks to a tremendous catch-and-run by their talented tight end Kyle Pitts, who went 50 yards to the Kansas City one-yard line. Bijan Robinson regained the lead by scoring from one yard out.
The Chiefs scored two field goals before the end of the first half, one of which was a gift from Cousins, who threw an interception less than a minute before the game ended.
Kansas City took the lead with their first drive of the second half, which ended with another field goal by Harrison Butker, but Mahomes’s second touchdown at the end of the third quarter made the score 22–14, increasing the margin with Atlanta.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) passes the ball against the Atlanta Falcons during the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Dale Zanin-Imagen Images)
The drive took just over six minutes off the clock, and it ended with JuJu Smith-Schuster running through the middle of the field and Mahomes passing him for a 13-yard touchdown. It’s Smith-Schuster’s first field goal of the season since he rejoined the team that won the Super Bowl two years ago, and it turned out to be the game-winning score.
The box score showed Mahomes passing for 217 yards with two touchdowns and one interception — this drive was the killer, as it came in the end zone when Justin Simmons picked off a pass to tight end Noah Gray.
Mahomes caught Rice 12 times for 110 yards, as he is clearly their No. 1 option in the passing game. Travis Kelce was the next best receiver with four catches for 30 yards, but he has yet to find the end zone this season.
Also, undrafted rookie Carson Steele was chosen to start in place of Chiefs’ star back Isiah Pacheco, who had surgery to repair a fractured fibula. Steele’s audition to remain the team’s starter after Pacheco was out for weeks went well, as he rushed for 72 yards on 17 carries.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashy Rice (4) scores a touchdown against Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford (20) during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Dale Zanin-Imagen Images)
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For the Falcons, Cousins went 20 of 29 and passed for 230 yards, including a touchdown and a pick. London took the lead with 67 yards on six catches, but Darnell Mooney is emerging as a good target for Cousins, as he followed up his big day against the Eagles with eight receptions for 66 yards in this one.
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