Raheem Morris’ clock management might have cost the Atlanta Falcons a playoff spot.
The first-year head coach failed to properly manage the clock and use his timeouts not once but twice – at both the end of the first half and in regulation.
Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. led the team on a game-tying touchdown drive with 1:19 left in the fourth quarter and the Falcons defense forced a punt from the Commanders. With 40 seconds remaining and two timeouts, Penix connected with Darnell Mooney for a 25 yard game that moved the ball to the 44-yard line but Morris failed to stop the clock and precious seconds came off the click.
By the time Penix’s next pass, an incompletion intended for Mooney over the middle, hit the ground, there were just 12 seconds remaining. A pass interference call against the Commanders gave kicker Riley Patterson a chance from 56 yards out to win the game as time expired in regulation, but he came up well short.
After the game, Morris tried to explain his decision-making but it didn’t really make any sense.
“Probably could have,” Morris said of calling timeout in that moment. “Thought we could get to the line of scrimmage with our operation a little faster there.”
“In hindsight, could have been a good decision, could have been a better decision, to take that timeout. But I wanted to have the opportunity to move up there. You could always second-guess those things. You could always second-guess those motives.”
Atlanta now no longer controls its own playoff fate and needs a win against the Carolina Panthers next Sunday along with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss to win the NFC South.
