Victory over Rams is latest proof Falcons improving near end of losing season

Whatever their issue, the Rams solved it over the final 22 minutes. They rallied from a 21-point deficit to tie the score with three minutes to play. This was the point when the Falcons usually fall apart. This time, they went back ahead by a field goal and escaped with a 27-24 victory.

So, maybe this game wasn’t about the Rams taking it easy. It’s just more evidence that the Falcons (7-9) really are a better team now than before. They’ve won three games in a row since being eliminated from the playoffs.

Beating the Rams (11-5) was the most impressive effort of them all.

“It says a lot about our team, the foundation of our team,” Falcons safety Jessie Bates III said. “Any other (4-9) team, you start seeing those guys start pointing fingers and they don’t get better. They get worse.

“That’s the complete opposite of what we’ve shown in the second half of this season.”

The Falcons started the winning streak by coming from a two-touchdown deficit in the fourth quarter at Tampa Bay. They fell behind, 10-0, at Arizona, then outscored the Cardinals, 26-9, the rest of the way. The Falcons blew a 24-3 lead in the second half against the Rams but made enough plays to earn their second victory of the season against an opponent that has a winning record now.

Losing five of six games by a one-score margin knocked the Falcons out playoff contention. Now they’ve won three games in a row decided by one score.

“I think these guys are fighters,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “I think these guys love football. I think the world of this football team. I think these guys are built for this.

“I said we had to find ways to win, and they are doing it now.”

Give the Falcons credit for that. But also recognize that they tried to find ways to lose against the Rams.

The Falcons let them back in it with yet another blunder on special teams. They also had a penalty committed by an assistant coach, of all people. They left Xavier Smith uncovered for a potential game-winning touchdown in the final seconds.

Critical mistakes at the worst times didn’t cost the Falcons a victory because they did so many other things well.

“Early in the season, we couldn’t figure out how to close out a game,” Bates said. “These past two weeks, whether it was four-minute offense or the defense going out there and getting a stop, that’s what good teams do. They win those type of games.”

Sweating it out

It seemed the Falcons wouldn’t have to sweat out a victory once they led, 21-0, at halftime. The lead was 24-3 with 7:46 to go in the third quarter.

Then the Rams drove for a touchdown in less than three minutes. Jared Verse blocked a field-goal attempt and returned it 76 yards for a touchdown. Suddenly, the Rams trailed by only a touchdown going into the fourth quarter.

Falcons rookie Xavier Watts stopped the bleeding by intercepting Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford’s pass for the second time in the game and returning it to the Rams’ 43-yard line. But Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson got in the way of an official along the sideline while celebrating the play.

The penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct moved the ball from the Rams’ 43-yard line back to Atlanta’s 42. The Falcons went three-and-out. The Rams answered with an eight-play touchdown drive that tied the game with 2:46 to play.

It had all the hallmarks of another Falcons collapse. The Falcons turned to Bijan Robinson to settle things down.

He carried the ball on three straight plays to move the Falcons to L.A.’s 35-yard line. Zane Gonzalez kicked a 51-yard field goal with 21 seconds left. The Falcons wouldn’t be able to relax until the final whistle.

Smith broke free at Atlanta’s 30-yard line on the next play. Stafford wasn’t under any pressure in the pocket when he passed. He simply missed on an easy throw.

On second down, Rams receiver Tutu Atwell was streaking inside Atlanta’s 20-yard line when Stafford lofted a pass to him. Atwell dropped the ball with Dee Alford applying pressure.

The Falcons held Rams star receiver Puka Nacua in check all night. He nearly made an incredible catch to get them in position to try a tying field goal.

Nacua grabbed the ball with one hand while straddling the sideline, but Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell managed to pry the ball away at the last moment.

“We were looking at each other on the sideline like, ‘This can’t be that way that we lose this game, off of this unbelievable catch,’” Bijan Robinson said. “I saw the first replay and I was like, ‘Man, come on. Please Lord, not today.’

“Then I saw A.J. grab his wrist and it was incomplete and we were all like, ‘This game is over.’”

The Falcons dominated the Rams before things got tight at the end.

Robinson ran for 195 yards, including a 93-yard touchdown. The Falcons picked off Stafford three times, with Bates returning one 34 yards for a score. The Falcons limited Nacua to 47 yards on five catches with one touchdown.

It’s possible that the Rams didn’t show up ready to play their best. What’s certain is that the Falcons are getting better as they near the end of this losing season.