While the defense seemed to do a fairly good job of keeping the Falcons from running away with the game, the offense once again couldn’t seem to do anything with those efforts. For the first three quarters, the Raiders offense had crossed the 50 just once. And found themselves down 15-3. A late push ended up too little too late and thus they lost their tenth straight.
Ballers
DT Jonah Laulu
The first stop of the game was courtesy of Laulu coming up the gut on a stunt to sack Kirk Cousins for a ten-yard loss. It took a score off the board too because the Falcons had driven within range of a 45-yard field goal. But after the sack, they instead punted it away.
The Falcons would get a touchdown at the end of the first quarter. And Laulu would help ensure that would be their only TD of the game. The next drive, they would be knocking on the door, making it inside the Vegas 40-yard-line. But they would get no further as Laulu made the tackle on a scramble for two yards to bring up third and long. An errant pass would force another punt.
Later he would make the final play for the defense, dropping into coverage and just getting a hand on a pass that would have been for a first down to end the game. Instead it gave the Raiders the ball back with 1:50 left and a shot at winning the game.
DT Adam Butler
Just before the half, the Falcons drove into Raiders territory again, reaching the Vegas 43. Then in third-and-nine, Butler would fight his way into the backfield to make the sack and force another punt.
LB Robert Spillane
Then the first play of the third quarter, Butler got a hand on a pass at the line, and Robert Spillane picked it off for the first takeaway of the game for the Raiders.
The following drive would end with Spillane making a tackle for loss to bring up third and nine. He would make the stop on the next drive as well, making the tackle short of the first down on third-and-11.
Spillane got flagged for an absolutely terrible roughing the passer penalty. He was flagged for hitting the QB on the helmet and that simply didn’t happen. He actually made a great play, coming on the blitz and batting the ball on what should have been a stop, but was instead an automatic first down on the bogus penalty.
He would help the Raiders defense rally back from that and stop the Falcons anyway three plays later.
RB Ameer Abdullah
For the Raiders to have any chance in this game, they needed to drive for a touchdown late. They got that touchdown thanks to Abdullah. First, he made a 23-yard catch up the right sideline to put them in first and goal at the five. Then on the next play, he took a short pass, broke a tackle and streaked for the end zone, diving over the end line for the score.
Abdullah then put them in position to have a shot at the end as well. On fourth-and-eight, he caught a pass in the right flat, spun out of what looked like a sure tackle and ran for the first down, even getting out of bounds to stop the clock.
Honorable Mention
LB Divine Deablo — Tied for third on the team in tackles (six) including one for a loss.
DE Tyree Wilson — Had a sack and two tackles for loss.
S Isaiah Pola-Mao — Led the team in tackles (nine)
