West Atlanta News

The Atlanta Falcons secured a 15-9 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders during their Week 15 game at Allegiant Stadium, witnessed by 62,364 fans. This win is part of the ongoing NFL season coverage provided by digital team reporter Terrin Waack.

In terms of defensive performance, the Falcons have maintained an active streak of achieving at least four sacks in three consecutive games. They recorded three sacks against the Raiders, four in their previous game against the Minnesota Vikings, and five against the Los Angeles Chargers. The last time they achieved this was in Weeks 15-17 of the 2004 season.

On the offensive side, Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins was sacked three times by the Raiders' defense. The Raiders now have a streak of 32 games with at least one sack, ranking third in the NFL behind Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Eagles.

Falcons safety Justin Simmons intercepted a pass from Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder in the fourth quarter. This marks Simmons' second interception this season and he leads the NFL with 32 interceptions since 2016.

Despite these efforts, Atlanta was held to just 93 yards passing by Las Vegas, marking their lowest total this season and their first sub-100-yard passing game in 2024.

Kirk Cousins did not attempt any first-down passes in the first half for the first time in his career. His initial pass on a first down in the second half resulted in an interception by Robert Spillane of the Raiders. Additionally, Cousins ended a touchdown drought with a 30-yard pass to Drake London during this game.

The Falcons did not enter the red zone throughout this match—a situation they last faced on October 22, 2018, against New York Giants.

Raheem Morris commented on needing improvement at quarterback: "He's got to play better... We've got to find a way to get him to play better."

Punter Bradley Pinion praised wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge's performance: "If he is not in the Pro Bowl, I don't know — it's rigged."

Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder expressed gratitude for playing opportunities: "I'm always going to be joyful and grateful to be out there."

Bijan Robinson led rushing for Atlanta with 125 yards on 22 carries. Drake London topped receiving for Atlanta with three receptions totaling 53 yards and one touchdown. For Las Vegas, Jakobi Meyers led receivers with five catches for 59 yards while Ameer Abdullah had seven receptions including one touchdown.

Looking ahead, Atlanta (7-7) will face off against New York Giants (2-12) next Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.