For long stretches Sunday, the Falcons seemed the better team. They outgained the favored Chargers 145-8 over the first 14 minutes and eight seconds. Midway through the second half, they had more yards rushing than the visitors did passing, which should have augured well. If you can’t stop the run, you can’t stop anything.
The Falcons stopped themselves in a second half they should have owned. Drake London had the ball ripped away by Khalil Mack at the Chargers’ 5. Younghoe Koo, who doesn’t miss often, missed from 50 yards. The Falcons fashioned drives of 62, 53 and 48 yards – drives that spanned 13:45 – and scored seven points.
That gave the Chargers a chance and, even in a weakened state, they took it. They mustered only two field goals over the second half, but they sufficed. The first tied it. The second, at 0:00, won it.
