ATL Standard

Sixteen seconds passed without interruption in the final moments of regulation during the Atlanta Falcons' Week 17 game against the Washington Commanders. The Falcons, who initially led 17-7 at halftime, saw their lead vanish in the third quarter when Washington ran 29 plays compared to Atlanta's three. Despite tying the game with less than two minutes left, Atlanta's last drive ended without a score due to clock management issues.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. connected with wide receiver Darnell Mooney for a 25-yard gain, but Mooney did not reach out of bounds, allowing the clock to continue running. With two timeouts remaining and on their own 44-yard line, head coach Raheem Morris chose not to stop the clock immediately. Instead, they snapped the ball with only 17 seconds left, leading to an incomplete pass intended for Mooney and another aimed at Drake London. Only after these plays did Morris call a timeout with seven seconds remaining.

A defensive pass interference penalty advanced Atlanta beyond midfield; however, only two seconds remained, forcing kicker Riley Patterson to attempt a challenging 56-yard field goal. Morris acknowledged it was a "desperation" kick and knew it was likely out of Patterson's range. The kick fell short, leading to overtime where Washington scored first and secured victory.

Morris faced criticism for his decision not to use a timeout following Mooney's catch. He admitted he "probably could have" called one then but believed they could reach the line faster: "Trying to save that timeout... In hindsight, could have been a good decision."

The game's first half also featured questionable clock management by Morris when the Falcons failed to use any of their three timeouts after advancing near Washington's end zone following the two-minute warning. This resulted in only a field goal instead of potentially more points before halftime.

These decisions drew scrutiny as they contributed significantly to Atlanta's loss despite several penalties committed by Washington that favored them. The focus post-game shifted from individual performances like Penix’s first career touchdown pass or Jayden Daniels’ overtime play to these critical coaching choices.