'Little Things' Hurt Atlanta Falcons in Loss to Minnesota Vikings

The Atlanta Falcons are riding a two-game losing streak, with both losses coming in one-score games.

The Atlanta Falcons have won just one of their last four games, all of which have come down to just one score. The most recent of the painstakingly close losses came on Sunday, as the Minnesota Vikings were able to mount the game-winning drive in the final seconds to hand the Falcons a 31-28 loss. 

It is the second straight loss for Atlanta, and to make matters worse, each of the past two games has been against new quarterbacks. Rookie second-round pick Will Levis made the start for the Titans in the Week 8 clash with the Falcons, while Jaren Hall, the former fifth-round selection, started for the Vikings.

However, it wasn't Hall who beat the Falcons rather, it was veteran backup Josh Dobbs, who, despite joining the Vikings five days earlier at the NFL's trade deadline, led the team to victory in the closing stages. So, what happened?

“The little things. It all comes down to tackling at the end of the day, and we didn’t do a good job on tackling," Falcons cornerback Dee Alford said about what hurt the Falcons the most in Sunday's loss. "Obviously, the quarterback, different things like having him contained. He was able to scramble, and we knew the game plan. We knew coming in that he liked to scramble to his right. It’s always going to come down to the little things.”

Nov 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joshua Dobbs (15) runs the ball against the Atlanta Falcons in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.   / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

As Alford specifically mentions, Dobbs' mobility gave the Falcons' defense fits, as he led the Vikings in rushing with 66 yards on seven attempts, which includes an 18-yard touchdown scramble from the 28-year-old. Dobbs did exactly what Alford said the Falcons knew: he broke contain by scrambling to his right, where after he gave pursuing linebacker Kaden Elliss a pump fake, he evaded his tackle attempt before finding the endzone.

Fast forward a little over 16 minutes later, where the Falcons were clinging to a four-point lead, Dobbs replicated his success this time with the game on the line. On fourth-and-seven, Dobbs evaded a Bud Dupree sack before escaping the pocket to his right where he picked up the first-down that effectively set up his game-winning touchdown to Brandon Powell.

The Falcons will look to break their losing streak with a win on Sunday when they travel to State Farm Stadium to face the 1-8 Arizona Cardinals. Kickoff inside State Farm Stadium is scheduled for 4:05 p.m.