What happened in week 13?

Key moment: The Chargers scored their first touchdown of the game on a pick-six in the third quarter to take the lead from the Falcons.

• More: The Falcons were leading 10-9 when their offense lined up at the Chargers’ 40-yard line for a fourth-and-5 play.
• Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​threw a pass to wide receiver Darnell Mooney, but it was intercepted by Chargers cornerback Tarheeb Still at the Los Angeles 39-yard line. He still returned the pick 61 yards down the left sideline for a touchdown.
• The Chargers then had a 17-10 lead.
• When the Falcons’ offense took the field again, they appeared ready to answer the Los Angeles touchdown. Cousins ​​completed a 60-yard pass to wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III that brought the Falcons to the Chargers’ 10-yard line. However, Atlanta was unable to cover the remaining distance to the end zone and instead relied on kicker Younghoe Koo’s 26-yard kick to cut the score to 17-13.

Outstanding performance: Bijan Robinson. The Falcons running back was productive on the ground and in the air. He finished the game with 135 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown. Robinson gained 102 yards on the ground and added 33 receiving yards on six catches. He

Number you should know: Five. That’s how many times the Falcons have sacked Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert. Atlanta’s previous single-game high was three sacks in its Week 9 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Sunday’s takedowns came from outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie (two), defensive lineman Kentavius ​​Street (one), defensive lineman David Onyemata (one), inside linebacker Kaden Elliss (half) and defensive lineman Grady Jarrett (half).

• Wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III’s 60-yard reception in the third quarter was the longest of his career. His previous long was 42 yards when the San Francisco 49ers lost to the Las Vegas Raiders on January 7, 2024.
• With a 5-yard reception in the fourth quarter, wide receiver Drake London became the first player in Falcons history to catch 65 passes in each of his first three seasons.

Tweet summary: Falcons editors Tori McElhaney, Will McFadden, Terrin Waack and Amna Subhan share their gut reactions to Sunday’s result in 280 characters or less.

• McElhaney: The Falcons need more from Kirk Cousins. No touchdown passes and five interceptions in three games aren’t enough.
• McFadden: The Falcons played well enough to win this game, but it cost them the victory.
• Waack: I can’t say I was expecting a thrill, but I shouldn’t be surprised.
• Subhan: I can’t say the Falcons defense didn’t give them a chance.

• **Inside Linebacker Depth**: Although JD Bertrand (concussion) was ultimately listed as inactive for Sunday’s game against the Chargers, Nate Landman (hamstring) and Troy Andersen (knee) were suspended. Landman hasn’t missed a game since Weeks 2-5. Andersen’s availability was rather sporadic. He missed Weeks 5–9 and the Falcons’ final game in Week 11.
  • What happened: Landman finished Sunday’s game with four tackles, his fewest in a single game this season. Andersen finished the game with a tackle against the Chargers. However, these numbers are somewhat distorted because the Chargers only played 46 games.
• **Bye Week Reflections**: Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​recharged during the break in Week 12, but also reflected on Atlanta’s back-to-back losses leading into the break. Cousins ​​failed to throw a single touchdown pass in any of these games, marking the first time in his starting career that he failed to do so in consecutive games. He thought about all the good and bad of the first half of the season, processed it and ultimately came to the conclusion that he feels really good about the final stretch, starting with the Chargers game.
  • What happened: These good feelings didn’t last long. After a game with four interceptions, Cousins ​​needs to regroup and prepare to face his former team next week in a crucial game for Atlanta.
• **Player of the game? Matthew Judon**: Falcons senior reporter Tori McElhaney put pressure on Judon in Week 13, writing that he needed to be the pressure player the Falcons wanted – even expected – if they were to draft a draft pick to the New England Patriots. Send third-round pick to acquire. McElhaney also picked Judon to put pressure on the Falcons’ pass rush overall, saying his success — or lack thereof — would determine Sunday’s outcome.
  • What happened: Well, the pass rush came alive on Sunday, finishing with a season-high five sacks. However, Judon was not one of the players who brought Herbert to the ground. He still has 2.5 sacks this season.

I’m looking forward to: The Falcons head to quarterback Kirk Cousins’ former home at US Bank Stadium in Week 14 for an away game against the Minnesota Vikings. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. ET. The action will be broadcast live on FOX.