Sunday night turned into a mess of one wild finish after another, and the late game in Atlanta ended with Cris Collinsworth laughing at the kind of interception that can sink a team in an instant.
With Michael Penix Jr. out after a rib injury, Tua Tagovailoa was thrown into his first action for the Falcons late in the fourth quarter of their overtime loss to the Ravens. Baltimore had just driven down the field for a touchdown, and Atlanta still had a chance to answer. Instead, Tagovailoa dropped back and fired what became a game-ending gift to Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton, who sealed the win.
On NBC’s telecast, Collinsworth’s reaction said it all. He could only laugh after the throw, a brutal response to an interception that ended Atlanta’s night in ugly fashion.
Tagovailoa’s path to that moment has been a strange one. He spent his first six NFL seasons with the Dolphins after going fifth overall in the 2020 NFL draft, and he finished in Miami with 59 interceptions in 78 games.
He then signed with the Falcons last March on a one-year deal at the veteran league minimum, hoping for a reset. So far, though, he has been a backup, dealt with a back injury, and then tossed that game-sealing pick in his first real shot to help Atlanta win over its new fan base.
Penix’s exit came after he was sacked by Baltimore’s Tavius Robinson with just over 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter. He came back for one more snap before regulation ended, but he could not return in overtime.
"Knowing me, I'm going to be ready to go next week because I sat out enough in my career, but I'm going to do everything I can in the training room, make sure I get back to where I want to be," Penix said, according to ESPN.
He also made clear how badly he wanted to stay on the field.
"It's frustrating, but I think the biggest thing is just I want to be out there, especially in a big moment in a game like that," Penix said. "I just felt like I needed to be out there."
The Falcons dropped to 2-3 with the loss and will try to bounce back next Sunday against the Bears. Penix’s status remains uncertain, and if he can’t go, Tagovailoa could be in line for his first start with the team.
In Other News...
Ravens Found Something Important In Atlanta Without Lamar Jackson
The Ravens went to Atlanta without Lamar Jackson and still found a way to leave with a win, edging the Falcons 30-23 in overtime. Tyler Huntley stepped in at quarterback and kept Baltimore steady enough to survive a late push, with the team leaning on the kind of situational football that can travel well in December and beyond.
Baltimores defense had the final say after Atlanta clawed back into the game, and the victory gave the Ravens sole possession of first place in the AFC North. For a team trying to show it can stay on course when its star quarterback is unavailable, the bigger takeaway was not just that it won, but how it handled the pressure when the game started slipping away. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick Henry Had A Message After Ravens Silenced The Doubters
The Ravens walked out of Sunday night with a 30-23 overtime win over the Falcons, but the game carried extra edge because of the chatter that surrounded it all week. Derrick Henry made sure to note that plenty of the outside picks leaned Atlantas way, and Baltimore had to spend much of the night answering those doubts the hard way before the result finally flipped in its favor.
Backup quarterback Tyler Huntley helped fuel the late rally after Lamar Jackson was ruled out with an injury, giving Baltimore a path back into a game that looked like it might slip away. Henry did his part with 102 rushing yards and the two-point conversion that tied things late, and after the win he had a pointed message for the voices that had counted the Ravens out. [Read more 🡒]
Ravens Win Still Exposed A Problem Fans Cant Ignore
The Ravens left Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a 30-23 overtime win, but the kind of victory that still invites a long look at what went wrong along the way. Baltimore had enough answers late, yet Atlantas defense made sure it was not easy, getting four sacks and pressure on the quarterback while Jessie Bates III supplied the kind of impact play that can swing a game. Drake London and Kyle Pitts also gave the Falcons some needed production on offense, helping keep things tense into the extra period.
Still, the most worrying part for Baltimore was harder to ignore than the final result. The Ravens were able to lean on their ground game for much of the night, and Atlanta never consistently solved it even after putting together strong stretches on defense. For a team trying to stack wins and build momentum, the ability to finish was there, but so was the reminder that the run defense remains a real issue waiting to be fixed. [Read more 🡒]