The Falcons modified their remaining play towards the Chiefs, and it was a disaster

With 56 seconds left of their Sunday evening sport towards the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs, the Atlanta Falcons had fourth-and-1 from the Kansas Metropolis 13-yard line. The rating was 22-17 in Kansas Metropolis’s favor, so a subject purpose wasn’t an choice. The Falcons needed to convert that fourth down and attempt to get in the long run zone. That they had already been snubbed in the long run zone by referee Tra Blake and his officiating crew when that crew missed an apparent go interference dedicated by security Bryan Prepare dinner on tight finish Kyle Pitts.

That was on third-and-five from the Kansas Metropolis six-yard line, and when Kirk Cousins underthrew receiver Drake London on the following play, Atlanta gave the ball over on downs.

So, on their subsequent drive, the Falcons knew they needed to hit it laborious in the event that they needed to win.

They usually had the play to do it. On the play earlier than the ultimate Atlanta play in query, operating again Tyler Allgeier ran up the center for no achieve, however the name this time was for operating again Bijan Robinson to take it up the center once more.

That was the decision… after which it wasn’t, primarily based on what the Falcons noticed from Kansas Metropolis’s stacked line of defense.

“We had a name to go downhill,” Robinson mentioned postgame. “It appeared prefer it was going to be completely different, so we modified the play. After we modified the play, we needed to account for a few guys. No. 32 [Bolton] got here free proper up the center, so it was powerful. Once I get the ball, I’ve to attempt to decide proper now. He got here out and tried to change and go and that was my line, so it was laborious for me. Clearly, I’m going to try to do higher to interrupt that sort out and make that play whatever the scenario.”

Atlanta’s failure to transform on this case was much less about Robinson not making a play, and way more about Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton making the play of the sport with the sort out that stopped Robinson brief.

Bolton noticed sufficient on Robinson’s 1-yard landing run with 6:44 left within the first half to know to regulate this time round. Atlanta was going old-school T-Formation within the purple zone with tight finish Charlie Woerner because the third man within the backfield, and it labored. Bolton was late to the hole, and received labored over.

This time, Bolton wasn’t going to let that occur.

“Yeah, within the purple zone, they sort of ran one thing related, however that they had three backs – [they] used a decent finish as a full blocker,” Bolton recalled. “My lineman most likely ought to have been cheated over just a bit bit extra and doubtless hung up with me – most likely would have had me and Leo [Chenal] hitting him on the purpose line and doubtless pushed him again. I got here up with the same play kind of sample, besides they solely had two backs as an alternative of three. So, I sort of noticed that [and] cheated over a bit bit. It’s like a rule across the locker room man — if a decent finish is obstructing 54, he’s going to set the sting for you. So, I noticed Leo [Chenal] set the sting and I simply sort of went off his butt and made the play.”

Bolton mentioned that he did acknowledge the play pre-snap.

“Oh, yeah. Coach had an amazing name, put the large D-linemen in there, these guys received vertical, and I simply shot my gun.”

This time, Allgeier was Robinson’s lead blocker, and as Allgeier labored outdoors the tackles, Bolton knew he wanted to shoot his shot.

Linebacker Leo Chenal additionally knew what was coming.

“They noticed us all down and sort of loading up the field, they usually mentioned ‘Verify, examine’. We knew that they had been alerting to an out of doors perimeter run, and Nick simply ran it completely and took a shot on the play.”

It’s not an enormous shock that Bolton made the play. Throughout Tremendous Bowl LVIII week in Las Vegas, each Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo mentioned that Bolton is the man who makes the Chiefs protection go and holds all of it collectively.

And when the Chiefs wanted him probably the most, Bolton got here by way of as was anticipated of him.

Even Patrick Mahomes was impressed.

“Yeah, nice play,” the quarterback mentioned. “I imply, I feel it was very related – [Bolton] talked about it was similar to the play they ran on the purpose line. He acknowledged it, shot a shot and made a play. The protection has made a few these performs. We’ve received to be higher offensively at changing some first downs and operating the clock out. However, it helps when you’ve gotten a protection that’s capable of have been in these moments earlier than and make these massive performs. It’s a staff sport, and we’re profitable video games, and I really feel like we’re going to begin getting higher and higher every week.”

As for Kirk Cousins, he was rendered comparatively speechless by the consequence.

“Simply sort of reversed out and handed it off,” he mentioned of the ultimate play. “After which from there, didn’t have an excessive amount of of a vantage level, so there’s not a lot I can give you.”

The vantage level confirmed that the Falcons discovered what many of the NFL already is aware of: While you’re dealing with Spagnuolo’s protection, and also you give Spags’ final shot-caller a remaining alternative to shoot his shot, issues will most likely not go too effectively in your offense.

Not less than two former Chiefs weren’t impressed with Atlanta’s thought course of.

What may the Falcons have accomplished in a different way? Nicely, I occurred to level out that if the Falcons had a quarterback extra conversant with quarterback sneaks, they may have subbed that quarterback in for this specific scenario. And possibly the Falcons did choose that quarterback with the eighth total choose within the 2024 draft within the particular person of Michael Penix, Jr.

One alert reader identified that the 2020 Indianapolis Colts did this rather a lot once they would sub out Philip Rivers in favor of Jacoby Brissett when it was time for a short-yardage win. Brissett ran the ball 17 instances for simply 19 yards that season, however he additionally scored three touchdowns, and transformed seven performs on third or fourth-and-short. Rivers was 39 years outdated and in his remaining NFL season, so he wasn’t going to be the one plowing into the road.

So, possibly Penix would have been an choice, and possibly all people would really feel a bit higher in regards to the Falcons buying each Cousins AND Penix this offseason if that had been the decision.

All of the Falcons can do now could be to rue the misplaced alternative, and transfer alongside.

“Clearly you don’t be ok with them now,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris mentioned of these remaining two runs. “They didn’t work, proper? However you run one up the center with Tyler Allgeier. You don’t get it, you get knocked again. You get no yards on that play. You get fourth down with Bijan, and also you get no yards on that play. So, you don’t like the decision, you don’t just like the outcomes, however that was our plan, and we had been decisive. We referred to as them, we had been very aggressive, and we misplaced the soccer sport.”

Nicely, a minimum of the top coach is aware of precisely what occurred. Possibly subsequent time the Falcons received’t outthink themselves proper out of a possible big-time win.