As terrible as the Raiders are, this game holds enormous importance for Atlanta.
Everything.
It may sound hyperbolic, but the Atlanta Falcons’ season and future rest on this game. If they can’t beat a two-win football team without a starting-caliber quarterback, their mathematical probability of making the playoffs is meaningless. This is a can-not-lose game.
Sure, Atlanta could still finish with a winning record despite a loss; they could even make the playoffs, but could they survive the noise between then and a loss Monday night? The Raiders are a horrific football team, and Falcons fans are familiar enough with that kind of product to know it when they see it.
You can’t rationalize a loss to a team whose biggest success story of the season is selling a stake of the franchise to a man obsessed with avocado ice cream. That doesn’t mean the opponent should be taken lightly, but this is the perfect “get right” game to kick off this final four-game stretch, and wouldn’t it be nice to be on the right side of that type of game for once?
Raheem Morris has come under fire during Atlanta’s collapse, and while talks of a “one-and-done” season still feel premature, an embarrassing outing could change the outlook of his future. Coordinators Zac Robinson and Jimmy Lake need to be held accountable as well. Both have shown legitimate improvements over the course of the season, but have also left fans scratching their heads too often.
The Raiders have been one of the worst-coached teams this season, and if the Falcons staff can’t outclass them, eyebrows will be raised. Coaches can’t control how players execute, but far too often, execution errors stem from mental and technical mistakes instead of outright losing their matchups to the better player. The former falls on the staff to a certain extent. A lack of penalties and questionable situational calls will go a long way; more of the same, and fans will continue to be wary of this staff’s potential.
No one is feeling the pressure more than Kirk Cousins. Cousins has been the issue during this four-game stretch. That’s not to say the problems mentioned earlier don’t exist; they just haven’t been as bad as the quarterback’s play. During this four-game skid, Cousins threw eight interceptions without throwing a touchdown. The quarterback is double-clutching like he’s Dwayne Wade, but the move isn’t creating openings. It’s closing them. Protecting the ball is the top priority.
The Falcons have two running backs that can score touchdowns, but not even the dynamic backfield of Robinson and Allgeier can overcome interceptions in enemy territory—neither can the defense. When allowed to throw the ball, Cousins has to hit the open shots; there have been too many touchdowns falling into the arms of an opposing defender. If the play is not there, Cousins needs to do something we’ve rarely seen all year: throw the ball out of bounds.
The quarterback has been careless with possessions, treating them as if there will be endless opportunities. Not everyone is going to be open every play, and that’s okay; living to see another down is a better decision than forcing the ball into a window you don’t have the arm to make. Cousins needs to start playing like the game manager he was signed to be; Atlanta’s offensive weapons can play the role of hero.
A loss does not eliminate Atlanta from making the playoffs, but guarantees they’ll be below the Buccaneers heading into the following week. Pending Tampa Bay’s performance against the Chargers, a loss to the Raiders would either help the division foes widen their gap or give them a freebie if they do lose. Regardless, Atlanta can only begin to worry about the Buccaneers outcomes once they start winning games again.
I’m sure many have already convinced themselves that they won’t be happy even if the Falcons finish 10-7, win the division, and make the playoffs. I’m calling their bluff. You haven’t seen the Falcons in the playoffs since the 2017 season, and you want me to believe you’ll be turning your nose up at it because the Falcons had a four-game losing streak at one point.
Please. You sickos will be there with eyes glued to the television and a pending bar therapy session. This is how any fan who’s suffered through this nearly decade-long drought should act. Flipping the win totals of the past three years and making the playoffs is literally what this year was all about, and it’s a tangible achievement to give fans hope for the future. Burn them after waving that hope in their face, and it’ll take winning a Super Bowl to regain that trust. That’s the social contract all NFL participants make.
The results of this game hold implications, fair and unfair. Claims of a bad culture and rumors of locker room dysfunction will continue to rise. Multiple men’s jobs will be called into question, and faith in the franchise will dissipate. Winning cures all, and no team needs a win more than your Atlanta Falcons.