Costly miscues cost Falcons again in New England

You could name the most embarrassing possible way for the Falcons to lose, and that’s probably what will happen when they take the field on Sunday — just as it did in New England, where Atlanta hoped to claw its way back to .500 against a Patriots team riding a five-game winning streak.

Much of the first half was ugly. The Patriots did whatever they wanted offensively, pounding the Falcons on the ground and converting third down after third down. That dominance led to a 21-7 lead, with an opportunity to extend it further before halftime. But then things took a turn in favor of the good guys.

The Falcons’ two rookie first-round picks combined to make the biggest play of the game up to that point. Jalon Walker stunted up the middle for a strip sack, and James Pearce Jr. scooped up the loose ball around midfield, nearly taking it in for a touchdown. Two plays later, Penix connected with Drake London for their second touchdown of the afternoon, cutting the deficit to one score.

New England quieted Atlanta’s momentum to open the second half, going on a 15-play, 56-yard drive, but the Falcons held firm and forced a field goal — the Patriots’ only points of the half.

Late in the third quarter, Jessie Bates III came up with his first interception of the season, giving Atlanta much-needed life. The takeaway led to a field goal, trimming the deficit to seven. After a defensive stop, Penix guided the Falcons on a 15-play, 85-yard touchdown drive capped by London’s third score of the day, putting the Falcons within one point of a tie game.

Then came the all-too-familiar heartbreak. Younghoe Koo’s replacement, Parker Romo, trotted out for the extra point and pushed it wide right, keeping the Falcons down one with 4:40 left.

Atlanta’s defense held strong again, forcing a three-and-out and giving the offense one final chance. The potential game-winning drive started promisingly — a few Bijan Robinson runs for a first down, then a 25-yard strike from Penix to London into Patriots territory. But everything unraveled fast.

An incomplete pass on first down set up 2nd-and-10, where Ryan Neuzil snapped the ball early, catching Penix off guard. The botched play led to an intentional grounding penalty, making it 3rd-and-20. Another incompletion followed, forcing the Falcons to punt with just over two minutes remaining.

They would never see the ball again.

Atlanta lost by one point in a game where they allowed just three points in the second half, won the turnover battle by two, and recorded six sacks. Yet again, it was another painful example of the coaching and management malpractice that continues to plague this franchise.

Now 3-5, the playoffs are nothing more than a pipe dream. The season is lost well before Thanksgiving, and most of the talk surrounding over the final two months will be around the futures of Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot. The cycle of misery continues for this God awful franchise.

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