The Buffalo Payments fell to the Atlanta Falcons 24-21 for his or her second loss in as many weeks. Following the loss, the New England Patriots moved into sole possession of first place within the AFC East for the primary time in 5 years.
As was the case final Sunday, psychological errors and self-inflicted wounds value Buffalo the sport. They have been three for ten on third and fourth down mixed. In addition they misplaced the turnover battle and gave up 4 sacks.
The Falcons had no downside shifting the ball down the sphere on the opening possession. After a fumble on the primary offensive play of the sport was taken off the board by an offsides penalty on the Payments, Atlanta marched down the sphere in 2:45 to attain a landing on a 21-yard rush by operating again Tyler Allgeier for a 7-0 lead. That was Allgeier’s second TD in as many video games.
The Payments and quarterback Josh Allen had an ideal response when he threw a 46-yard go to wideout Joshua Palmer to get to the Falcons’ 28. Though they have been pushed ten yards again by an offensive holding, Josh Allen nonetheless threw a 19-yard TD go to tight finish Dawson Knox for a 7-7 tie. That was Knox’s first landing catch since Week Six of final season.
For the second straight week, penalties proved to be a problem for the Payments. Regardless of getting a third-down cease, a defensive go interference stored Atlanta’s third collection of the night alive. That miscue arrange a landing catch by extensive receiver Drake London on a third and aim for a 14-7 Falcons lead. Buffalo was flagged eight occasions for 64 yards on this recreation.
Falcons operating again Bijan Robinson continued to bolster his marketing campaign for the NFL’s Offensive Participant of the 12 months award. After a Payments punt, Robinson broke off an 81-yard dashing landing to extend Atlanta’s result in 21-7 within the second quarter. He completed the sport with a career-high 238 scrimmage yards and a dashing landing.
Within the shadow of their very own finish zone, the Falcons managed to get all the best way right down to Buffalo’s 33, the place they have been confronted with a 4th and three. Nevertheless, the go try was damaged up, permitting the Payments to take over on downs.
Buffalo’s offense struggled after its opening drive landing. They solely gained 48 yards of offense after that first collection.
The Payments bought the ball again with 15 seconds left within the half and one timeout. As a substitute of going into halftime down 14, Josh Allen threw an interception that was returned to Buffalo’s 49 with simply ten seconds on the clock.
Atlanta got here inches away from going up by 21 factors on the break. On the final play of the half, Drake London took a slant go to the top zone for a 40-yard landing. Nevertheless, replay evaluation decided that London’s foot touched down out of bounds simply earlier than he dove throughout the aim line, so the TD was nullified, and Atlanta had to enter halftime with a 21-7 benefit.
The break appeared to do wonders for the Payments’ offense. They put collectively a nine-play, 73-yard scoring drive that ended with a 16-yard catch-and-run by operating again Ray Davis for a landing to chop the lead right down to 21-14. That was Davis’ first TD of the season and his first landing of any type since January nineteenth, 2025.
After an Atlanta punt, the Soiled Birds shot themselves within the foot on Buffalo’s subsequent possession, once they have been flagged thrice for defensive holding. That ultimately led to a 4th and a pair of close to midfield, which the Payments did not convert.
As soon as once more, penalties killed Buffalo. They have been flagged for defensive go interference on a third-down cease, which arrange a 20-yard catch-and-run by Bijan Robinson on the very subsequent play to get the Falcons into the crimson zone. The drive died out on the 19, resulting in a discipline aim try that the Payments blocked to maintain the rating at 21-14 with 12:24 to go within the recreation.
After the blocked discipline aim, these groups mixed for 3 three-and-outs earlier than the Falcons bought the ball again at their very own 17 with 6:43 to go within the fourth quarter. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. discovered a wide-open Bijan Robinson for a 23-yard pickup to get onto Buffalo’s aspect of the sphere. Drake London then made an 11-yard catch to get right down to the Payments’ 33. On a third and 1 and two minutes to go within the recreation on the Buffalo’s 14, the Payments have been flagged for encroachment, which gave Atlanta a contemporary set of downs. Although they wouldn’t attain the top zone, they compelled Buffalo to burn all of its timeouts earlier than hitting a discipline aim for a 24-14 benefit with 1:43 to go within the recreation.
As one would count on, the Payments didn’t go away quietly. Josh Allen picked up 21 yards via the air earlier than breaking off a 24-yard run. Ultimately, although, a Josh Allen go was tipped and intercepted within the crimson zone to safe the win for the Falcons.
With this victory in hand, Atlanta moved to 3-2 on the marketing campaign.
*Writer’s notice: all data and statistics are tracked in actual time and are supplied by the sport’s broadcaster, NFL.com, and ESPN.com*
