Key moment: The Chargers scored their first touchdown of the game in the third quarter off a pick-six to retake the lead from the Falcons.
- More: The Falcons led 10-9 when their offense lined up at the Chargers’ 40-yard line for a fourth-and-5 play.
- Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw a pass to wide receiver Darnell Mooney but it was intercepted by Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still at the Los Angeles 39-yard line. Still returned the pick 61 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown.
- The Chargers then had a 17-10 lead.
- When the Falcons’ offense took the field again, they looked poised to answer the Los Angeles touchdown. Cousins completed a 60-yard pass to wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III that brought the Falcons to the Chargers’ 10-yard line. However, Atlanta couldn’t cover the remaining distance to the end zone, instead relying on kicker Younghoe Koo’s 26-yard kick to tighten the score, 17-13.
Standout performance: Bijan Robinson. The Falcons running back was productive on the ground and through the air. He finished with 135 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. Robinson gained 102 yards on the ground and added 33 receiving yards on six catches. He
Number to know: Five. The amount of times the Falcons sacked Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Atlanta’s previous single-game high was three sacks in its Week 9 win against the Dallas Cowboys. Sunday’s takedowns came from outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie (two), defensive lineman Kentavius Street (one), defensive lineman David Onyemata (one), inside linebacker Kaden Elliss (half) and defensive lineman Grady Jarrett (half).
- Wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III’s 60-yard reception in the third quarter was the longest of his career. His previous long was 42 yards when the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Las Vegas Raiders on Jan. 7, 2024.
- With a 5-yard reception in the fourth quarter, wide receiver Drake London became the first player in Falcons history to catch 65 passes in each of his first three seasons.
Tweet recap: The Falcons editorial staff of Tori McElhaney, Will McFadden, Terrin Waack and Amna Subhan share their gut reactions to Sunday’s outcome in 280 characters or less.
- McElhaney: The Falcons need more from Kirk Cousins. No touchdown passes and five interceptions in three games isn’t going to cut it.
- McFadden: The Falcons played well enough to win this game, but they cost themselves the victory.
- Waack: Can’t say I expected a nail-biter, but I shouldn’t be surprised.
- Subhan: Can’t say the Falcons defense didn’t give them a chance.
- **Inside linebacker depth**: Although JD Bertrand (concussion) was ultimately dubbed inactive for Sunday’s game against the Chargers, Nate Landman (hamstring) and Troy Andersen (knee) were cleared. Landman hasn’t missed a game since Weeks 2-5. Andersen’s availability has been more sporadic. He missed Weeks 5-9 and the Falcons’ last game in Week 11.
- What happened: Landman finished Sunday’s game with four tackles, his fewest in a single game this season. Andersen finished with one tackle against the Chargers. Those numbers are partially skewed, however, because the Chargers only ran 46 plays.
- **Bye week reflections**: Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins recharged during the Week 12 off time, but he also reflected on Atlanta’s back-to-back losses that led into the break. Cousins failed to throw a single touchdown pass in either of those games, marking the first time in his starting career he didn’t do so in consecutive games. He thought about and processed all the good and bad from the first half of the season and ultimately decided he feels really good about the final stretch, starting with the Chargers game.
- What happened: Those good feelings didn’t last long. After a four-interception game, Cousins will have to regroup and prepare to face his former team next week in a critical game for Atlanta.
- **Player of the Game? Matthew Judon**: Falcons senior reporter Tori McElhaney put the pressure on Judon in Week 13, writing that he needs to be the pressure player the Falcons wanted – even expected – when they send a third-round draft pick to the New England Patriots in order to acquire. McElhaney chose Judon also as a way to put the pressure on the Falcons’ pass rush overall, saying its success – or lack thereof – would determine Sunday’s outcome.
- What happened: Well, the pass rush came alive on Sunday and finished with a season-high five sacks. Judon was not among the players who took Herbert to the ground, however. He still has 2.5 sacks on the season.
Looking forward: The Falcons head to quarterback Kirk Cousins’ former stomping grounds for a Week 14 road game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET. Action will air live on FOX.
