Falcon Report

SAFETY FIRST! Falcons Open Scoring After Fumble Recovery on Punt at Bills

The Falcons start off the scoring in Buffalo.

Jeremy Brener

The Atlanta Falcons need to win against the Buffalo Bills to keep their season alive, and they started off on the right foot in the first quarter of this NFL Week 17 game.

After a six-play drive that ended in the Falcons advancing just beyond midfield, punter Thomas Morstead sailed the ball into the snowy Buffalo weather.

Bills return specialist Marquez Stevenson caught the punt but Falcons cornerback Avery Williams punched the ball loose, forcing the ball to head near the Bills' end zone.

After multiple players attempted to fall on the ball, it dribbled into the end zone and the Falcons tackled Bills wide receiver Jake Kumerow there, resulting in a safety to put the Falcons up 2-0.

Williams is playing a key role in today's contest after teammate Fabian Moreau landed on the inactive list.

On the ensuing drive, the Falcons were unable to take advantage and went three-and-out before punting it back to the Bills again.

It's the first time the Falcons have recorded a safety in a game since January 14, 2017 against the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Divisional Round of the team's recent Super Bowl run.

The Falcons also recorded a safety in the team's Wild Card appearance against the New York Giants on January 8, 2012, where the team scored just a safety in a 24-2 defeat.

The last time the Falcons recorded a safety in the regular season came on November 30, 2008 in a 22-16 win over the San Diego Chargers. To put it into context, George W. Bush was the president at the time.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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