Special Teams Woes Doom Falcons In Loss to Jets

EAST RUTHERFORD – The Atlanta Falcons fell to the New York Jets in Week 13 on a day when they looked like the clearly superior team everywhere except the one place it mattered most. Atlanta outgained New York by 120 yards, picked up nine more first downs, and saw Bijan Robinson total nearly 200 scrimmage yards. 

All that, but special teams doomed them in a crushing 27-24 loss.

“We just haven’t played well,” head coach Raheem Morris said after the game about his special teams unit. “We have not had the consistency you need to go out there and dominate field position. It’s a lot of different factors, but we gotta be better.” 

The unit’s struggles likely cost them this game. 

What happens next for the Atlanta Falcons? Don't miss out on any news and analysis! Take a second, sign up for our free newsletter, and get breaking Falcons news delivered to your inbox daily!

Kicker Zane Gonzalez missed a 50-yard field goal, Jamal Agnew muffed a punt that gave the Jets starting field position on their own two-yard line, and an 83-yard kick return set up a 32-yard field goal. The Falcons had a chance to push this game into overtime, but poor punt coverage allowed the Jets to pick up 16 yards and set up the game-winning kick. 

On a day where the Falcons played well enough to win in two of their three phases, it was their special teams blunders that cost them a chance at a win. Their issues gift-wrapped the Jets with 13 points, and pulled three away from themselves. 

All of these issues were self-inflicted. 

Morris confirmed that Agnew was in the wrong for backing up and attempting to catch the punt that pushed him up against the goal line. 

“Gotta let that go,” he said. “Gotta let that touch the ground. You put it on the ground and give them the ball on the two-yard line. They get an easy touchdown, and that hurts you.” 

Agnew, known as an explosive specialist in the return game, has struggled to make an impact this season for the Falcons. 

He is listed as a wide receiver, but has made just one snap on offense, meaning his sole impact comes in the return game. But coming into Week 13, he was 42nd in the NFL in average yards per kickoff return (25.0) and 24th in average yards per punt return (9.2). Sunday was his third fumble of the season. 

Special teams woes like this have been an unfortunate theme for the Falcons this season. 

Just last week, the Falcons were hit with a 75-yard kick return. According to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, Atlanta is allowing 29.8 yards per return, the most in the NFL.  

“We gotta tackle,” Morris said about their issues in kick coverage. “That’s two weeks in a row we haven’t played well. We chose to kick it out a bunch today, and that was one more time I should have chose to kick it out again.” 

The Falcons’ head coach declined to comment on the security of special teams coordinator Marquice Williams’ role after the continued issues. Morris, who appeared to be very frustrated with the question, said he wants to avoid any “emotional decisions” with his players and staff. 

“That’s not our code, that’s not our ethics,” he said. “That’s not who we are, that’s not what we are. That’s not what we’ll do today.” 

But this wasn’t new. Sunday was just the latest chapter in a season-long problem of self-inflicted issues that cost them games.

The Falcons will move to 4-8 on the season after their loss to the Jets. After wins by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, any of the already bleak hopes of snapping the seven-year postseason drought likely evaporated on Sunday. 

“You gave yourself a chance on offense and defense,” Morris finished. “We did not on special teams today.”