Atlanta Falcons vs. Tennessee Titans Live Updates: Atlanta Loses 28-23

Check here for live game updates of the Atlanta Falcons against the Tennessee Titans.

This week at Nissan Stadium, the Atlanta Falcons will face the Tennessee Titans, allowing head coach Arthur Smith his first opportunity to beat his old team. 

Smith left his job as the Titans offensive coordinator back in 2021 to become the Falcons head coach and brought in former players such as quarterback Marcus Mariota and tight end Jonnu Smith.

Atlanta Falcons head coach Arthur Smith is making his return to Tennessee to face his old team, the Titans / FanStreamSports.com

This game will feature young quarterbacks as Tennessee will be giving rookie Will Levis his first start against first-year starter Desmond Ridder. The Falcons have seen varying levels of success in recent weeks as Ridder has struggled with turning over the ball. 

The deciding factor in this game could come down to which running back performs best as ascending star rusher Bijan Robinson should be fresh following last week's headache issues, which limited him.

Derrick Henry is still one of the league's most dominant running backs and a former offensive player of the year capable of dominating games with his elite physical traits and renowned stiff arm.

Considering that both teams play similarly with smash-mouth offenses, this could be a low-scoring contest where Mike Vrabel and Smith attempt to out-strategize one another in a chess match. 

How the young quarterbacks manage to throw the ball to star wide receivers, such as DeAndre Hopkins on the Titans and Drake London on the Falcons, could dictate which team has the momentum throughout the game.

Anything is possible, considering just how well acquainted both of these coaches are with one another's strengths and weaknesses.

WHAT: Atlanta Falcons (4-3, 1-2 ROAD) at Tennessee Titans (2-4, 2-1 HOME)

WHERE: Nissan Stadium, Nashville, TN (69,143)

WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, 1 p.m. ET

TELEVISION: CBS / FuboTV (try it free)

RADIO: WZGC-FM 92.9 The Game

Get your tickets at SI Tickets

Betting via SI SportsBook

SPREAD: Falcons -2.5

TOTAL: 35.5

MONEYLINE: Falcons -143, Titans +120

FIRST QUARTER

Titans Ball: Will Levis is starting and gets the first down following a couple of runs from Henry. In comes Malik Willis to split the quarterback reps, and he fumbles the snap; Atlanta recovers.

Falcons Ball: London catches a 12-yard pass to bring them into scoring range, but the drive stalls, and the team settles for a field goal.

ATL leads 3-0

Titans Ball: Levis is in for this full drive, completing passes and running for 18 total yards, but the drive goes nowhere as they punt back to Atlanta.

Falcons Ball: Robinson runs for six yards. Ridder loses 10 yards on a sack and then overthrows a ball on third down, forcing the team to punt.

Titans: Henry runs for seven yards, then two more, before a pass to Henry goes for five yards and a first down. Levis throws a DEEP pass to Hopkins for a 47-yard TOUCHDOWN!

TEN up 7-3

Falcons Ball: Ridder connects with London for 12 yards. The team gets to fourth and one as the quarter comes to a close. They punt after the break.

Titans Ball: Levis throws for 12 yards to Okonkwo, then to Philips for 10 more yards on third down and 12. The team punts.

Falcons Ball: Robinson runs for two, then two incomplete passes to Robinson. The team punts again.

Titans Ball: Henry runs for seven yards, a deep pass to Burks on third down, but only one foot gets in, so the team punts it back in a special team slugfest. 

Falcons Ball: RIdder's turnover issues resurface as he fumbles the ball away yet again after Simmons knocks it out and Shaair recovers. 

Titans Ball: Levis continues to connect with Henry in the passing game. Willis comes back in for a four-yard rush, then Levis comes back in and connects with Hopkins for a 16-yard TOUCHDOWN! The rookie has two passing touchdowns in the first half while splitting reps in his first start. 

TEN 14 ATL 3

Falcons Ball: Ridder runs for 23 yards to the Atlanta 36. Then a penalty and sack push the team back to the Atlanta 22. Ridder connects with Smith or 13, but the team is forced to punt. 

Titans Ball: Henry runs for six yards and then another five yards as the game enters the two-minute warning. Coming out of the break, a dropped pass to Okonkwo, who had space to get big yardage. Spears runs for two yards, and then Tennessee spends its first timeout. Okonkwo catches his next target but loses two yards. The team then punts it back to Atlanta.

Falcons Ball: Ridder sacked for a 10-yard loss on first down. Robinson runs for two yards, then is fed for another four-yard gain. The team goes three and out, only eating up 31 seconds off the clock. 

Titans Ball: False start. A pass to Philips for eight yards. The drive stalls, and they go three and out, only burning 34 seconds off the clock. 

Falcons Ball: Ridder kneels to send the game to halftime. 

HALFTIME: TEN 14 ATL 3

SECOND HALF:

Falcons Ball: Ridder runs for 25 yards to open the half, with Taylor Heinicke starting instead of Ridder. Robinson runs for another four, and then Jefferson gets seven receiving yards. Allgeier ran for six more yards, then two more. The drive ends with Koo kicking a field goal.

TEN 14 ATL 6

Titans Ball: Henry runs for five. They feed Henry again for another four yards. Levis runs for three yards. The team burs a timeout. Levis runs for five yards. Henry runs for another five yards. Levis hits Hopkins for four yards, then Levis runs for three yards. Fourth down looming. The team opts to punt.

Falcons Ball: Pitts has a 14-yard reception. Robinson loses three rushing. Hodge catches a pass from Heinicke as the offense begins to roll. Robinson runs for six yards. Heinicke hits London for 21 yards. Patterson runs for three yards. The team kicks another field goal to cut into the lead. 

TEN 14 ATL 9

Titans Ball: Henry runs for 14 yards. Levis hits Hopkins for his third touchdown of the day, a 61-yarder!

TEN 21 ATL 9

Falcons Ball: Heinicke hits Hodge for 52 yards. Hollins gets seven receiving yards to end the third quarter. Robinson runs 13 yards for his first rushing TOUCHDOWN!

TEN 21 ATL 16

Titans Ball: Levis hits Moore for 27 yards, but a penalty calls it back. Henry runs for six yards, then again for two yards. On third down, Levis throws an incomplete pass and comes up injured before the team punts. 

Falcons Ball: Heinicke throws three incomplete passes before the team punts. The three-and-out took all of 10 seconds

Titans Ball: Henry runs for three yards. Spears has a three-yard catch. Okonkwo gets 10 yards receiving, then an incomplete pass to him on first down. Spears runs for 23 yards. Henry gets another catch four yards. Another LONG TOUCHDOWN! Levis to Westbrook-Ikhine for 33 yards in the endzone.

TEN 28 ATL 16

Falcons Ball: Heinicke sacked for a loss of eight yards but scrambles for eleven after throwing for six to get a first down. Jefferson gets 11 yards, and Hodge gets nine. Hollins gets 20 yards receiving and then TOUCHDOWN Miller! 

TEN 28 ATL 23

Titans Ball: Henry runs for seven yards. Henry runs again for another six yards, then another four for a first down. Atlanta burns a timeout. Henry is getting fed. Another run to him costs the Falcons a timeout. After Levis is sacked, Atlanta burns its final timeout and gets the ball back with 2:19 remaining. 

Falcons Ball: Incomplete pass to Pitts to open the drive. Jefferson gets six as the game goes to the two-minute warning. Heinicke runs on third and is one yard short. On fourth and one, they come up short. 

Titans Ball: Levis Kneels the game away for his first career win in his first career start.

FINAL SCORE: TEN 28 ATL 23