QUOTING RAHEEM MORRIS

QUOTING THE FALCONS

QUOTING THE OPPONENT

LANDOVER, Md. — The Atlanta Falcons entered Sunday with a chance to clinch their first playoff berth since 2017. They left Northwest Stadium in Landover, Md., with heartbreak.

Atlanta (8-8) fell 30-24 in overtime to the Washington Commanders (11-5) on Sunday Night Football, with Commanders rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels hitting tight end Zach Ertz over the middle for a touchdown.

The Falcons led 17-7 at halftime, seemingly in control of the game, and quickly put the Commanders in a third-and-22 on the first drive of the second half. Then, Falcons outside linebacker DeAngelo Malone committed an illegal contact penalty, giving Washington new life and turning the game on its head.

Led by star rookie quarterback Daniels, the Commanders’ offense methodically wore down the Falcons’ defense. Atlanta’s offense counterpunched with a game-tying touchdown inside of 100 seconds to play, and after a three-and-out, the Falcons gave kicker Riley Patterson a chance to win it from 56 yards out.

But Patterson’s kick, which was straight on, fell short.

In overtime, the Commanders received the kickoff and marched down in the field, taking over seven minutes off the clock. Daniels threw the dagger to Ertz on third-and-2 with 2:45 remaining.

The Commanders secured their playoff ticket. The Falcons enter next weekend needing a win and Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss to the New Orleans Saints.

And Atlanta’s left picking up the pieces from a slow-bleeding death in perhaps its biggest game in seven years.

Here are three takeaways …

In the third quarter alone, Washington ran 25 plays, possessed the ball for 12:53 and gained 145 net yards. Comparably, Atlanta had just three plays over 2:07 and lost one yard.

As the Commanders’ offense grew more confident and the Falcons’ defense became more tired, Washington turned its 10-point halftime deficit into a 24-17 lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Atlanta had a chance at the end of regulation but, no pun intended, fell short.

Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. struggled to ride the wave of momentum created by a strong first start in the team’s 34-7 victory over the New York Giants last week — until he needed it most.

Penix went 19-for-35 passing for 223 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He hit a few big throws to receiver Drake London, headlined by a 31-yard catch-and-run on fourth-and-11 on the team’s final drive, but also missed a handful of passes.

He hit tight end Kyle Pitts for a 13-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-goal late in regulation, the first touchdown pass of Penix’s NFL career.

Falcons linebackers JD Bertrand and Kaden Elliss each made personal history in the first half. Bertrand, a fifth-round rookie, notched his first NFL sack, while Elliss, a sixth-year pro, recorded his first NFL interception.

Receiver Drake London broke the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his professional career with a 14-yard catch from Penix midway through the second quarter

The Falcons (8-8) host the Carolina Panthers (4-12) at 1 p.m. Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Washington Commanders have been one of the top stories of the year in the NFL, and coming off a last-second win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 16, Jayden Daniels and company are riding high into a Week 17 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons in which they can clinch a playoff berth for the first time in five seasons.

The likely Offensive Rookie of the Year is the straw that stirs the drink in D.C., with 22 touchdown passes on a nearly 70% completion rate this season. Oh, and the 2023 Heisman Trophy winner has also lived up to the hype on the ground with a team-leading 737 rushing yards and six rushing scores.

The Falcons enter Week 17 in the hunt in the NFC South, and wins in the last two weeks will mean a first division title in Atlanta since 2016, the season they made it to Super Bowl 51. Atlanta made a drastic change for the present and future heading into last week, replacing struggling quarterback Kirk Cousins with rookie Michael Penix Jr. Penix threw for more than 200 yards in his first NFL start, and the Falcons have won their past two as the club closes in on its first playoff appearance in eight years.

The Buccaneers beat the Panthers on Sunday, however, and took a momentary lead in the division. If the Falcons don’t win out, the Buccaneers are looking at the title and playoff spot.