The Atlanta Falcons’ path to the playoffs hit a major roadblock on Sunday night after a heartbreaking 30-24 overtime loss to the Washington Commanders. But in the aftermath, head coach Raheem Morris was left pondering a pivotal decision in the game’s waning moments that may have altered his team’s fate.
With the score knotted at 24-24 and under a minute remaining in regulation, Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. connected with wide receiver Darnell Mooney for a clutch 25-yard completion, moving Atlanta into field goal range at their own 44-yard line. The clock showed roughly 34 seconds remaining, but rather than use one of his two remaining timeouts, Morris opted to let precious seconds tick away.
The Timeout That Never Came
In hindsight, Morris acknowledged that calling a timeout after Mooney’s pivotal catch “could have been a good decision or a better decision.” His rationale for letting the clock run was a desire to “save that timeout” for later and a belief that his offense could hurry to the line and run another play more efficiently.
“I thought we could get to the line of scrimmage and run our operation a little faster there,”
Raheem Morris
Instead, the ensuing plays yielded two incompletions from Penix, burning all but 2 seconds and forcing the Falcons to send out newly signed kicker Riley Patterson for a lengthy 56-yard attempt. The kick sailed wide, sending the game to overtime where Washington quickly sealed Atlanta’s fate.
A Season-Defining Moment?
The ramifications of Morris’ clock management loom large for a Falcons squad that entered Week 17 controlling their playoff destiny. At 8-8, Atlanta now needs a win over Carolina and a Tampa Bay loss to clinch the NFC South and avoid an early vacation.
While Morris took ultimate ownership for the ill-fated sequence, his players were quick to shoulder the blame. Penix noted that the team will always “lean on” their coach’s judgment in such situations, while Mooney suggested the outcome could have swung on any number of plays beyond the absent timeout.
“You can say, we can call a timeout right there, but you can say I catch the ball, go down the sideline and go score,”
Darnell Mooney
Playoff Hopes Dwindle
Regardless of how the Falcons’ faithful assign blame, the team’s postseason aspirations are now on life support. As defensive lineman Grady Jarrett solemnly noted, they had a chance to control their own fate and simply “let it slip” away.
With their backs against the wall, Morris and his squad must now scoreboard watch and hope for a bit of Week 18 luck. But even if the chips fall their way, the sting of Sunday’s missed opportunity – and one fateful timeout that never materialized – may linger long beyond this rollercoaster campaign.
