For the 2025 NFL season, digital team reporter Terrin Waack will provide select stats, facts and quotes from the most recent Atlanta Falcons game to consume with Miller Lite. Stats were gathered with the help of StatsPerform.
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons lost 32-9 to the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday in their Week 14 game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in front of 68,721 ticketed fans.
STATS TO CHEERS OVER
-- Falcons rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr. sacked Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold in the first quarter. Pearce has now recorded at least one sack in five straight games, becoming the first Falcons rookie to ever accomplish this feat. The last rookie on any team to do so was linebacker Micah Parsons with the Dallas Cowboys in 2021. There have been 12 rookies across the NFL who have done this since 1982, when sacks became an official stat. Only four, including Pearce and Parson, are still active.
-- The Falcons tallied two sacks against the Seahawks, giving Atlanta 43 sacks this season. That's the second most by a Falcons defense through 13 games, trailing only the 1997 team's 48 sacks.
-- Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. had 90 yards receiving against the Seahawks. He had 82 yards receiving in the Falcons' Week 13 loss to the New York Jets. The 172 yards receiving between the last two games mark his most in a two-game span since Weeks 15-16 of the 2021 season, when he had 179 yards during his rookie year.
-- Falcons running back Bijan Robinson finished with 94 yards from scrimmage against the Seahawks. That puts him at 5,033 yards from scrimmage this season. He became the second-fastest Falcons player to eclipse 5,000 yards from scrimmage in 47 career games, trailing only running back William Andrews, who reached that mark in 46 games.
-- Atlanta's defense gave up just six points to the Seahawks in the first half, which tied for the fewest points Atlanta has allowed in a first half this season. The other instance was the Falcons' Week 2 win against the Minnesota Vikings.
-- Although this streak ended with Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba's 28-yard receiving touchdown in the third quarter, Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. went 653 consecutive coverage snaps without allowing a touchdown. It was the fourth-longest active streak among cornerbacks in the NFL.
FACTS TO SIP ON
-- The Seahawks blocked Falcons kicker Zane Gonzalez's 50-yard field-goal attempt in the second quarter. It was the second time the Falcons have had a field goal blocked this season. The other was a 37-yard attempt by former Falcons kicker John Parker Romo in the team's Week 6 win against the Buffalo Bills. Atlanta is one of four teams this season to have multiple field goals blocked. The others are the Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.
-- Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes intercepted Darnold in the second quarter. Atlanta now has 16 takeaways this season. It has scored just 19 points off those, though. The Falcons did not score off Hughes' pick, as their ensuing drive ended in the blocked field goal. The only NFL team with fewer points off takeaways is the Jets with 10 points off only two takeaways.
-- The Falcons limited the Seahawks to six points and 111 yards in the first half. Those totals were Seattle's fewest and second fewest, respectively, this season. The Seahawks, however, added 31 points and 254 yards against the Falcons in the second half.
-- Seahawks wide receiver Rashid Shaheed returned the second-half kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown. It was the fourth time Atlanta allowed a second-half kickoff to be returned for a touchdown in franchise history. The Falcons also let it happen in 1998, 2000 and 2021.
-- The Falcons lost by 28 points. They lost by 24 points to the Miami Dolphins in Week 8. Both of those losses happened in Atlanta. There have only been six other seasons in which the Falcons had two home losses by at least 24 points – 1966, 1967, 1982, 1992, 2001 and 2021.
-- The Falcons are now 0-3 when tied at halftime this season. Atlanta and Seattle were 6-6 through two quarters.
QUOTING RAHEEM MORRIS
On what the Falcons can take from Seahawks game into next game…
"You can't give up backbreaking plays that allow your team to self-destruct when you're playing a really tight football game like that. That first half, that was what the team should look like. If you can find a way not to have those penalties, you score some of those touchdowns, you're in plus territory, you got a great opportunity to win this football game or at least give yourself a chance to win the football game. When you come out in the second half and you give up the kickoff return and you turn the football over, you give yourself no chance."
On if there's anything he can do to swing momentum back in his team's favor…
"There's no magic call. You got to go out there and play. The guys got to go back out there and recapture the moment, and somebody's got to go make a play, whether it's on defense, whether it's on special teams, whether it's on offense. Somebody's got to make a game-changing play. And that didn't happen."
QUOTING THE FALCONS
Quarterback Kirk Cousins
On whether it was discouraging all three phases couldn't respond…
"The disappointment standing before you now is not delivering, not coming through, whether it's winning 9-6 or 50-51 or whatever it may be. You want to deliver, one way or another. So, knowing that standing here we didn't is what hurts."
Safety Jessie Bates III
On the visible frustration shown by players on the sideline…
"Frustration is a good thing — people care. Just got to stay together. We're still fighting for our jobs, for each other's families and all that good stuff."
QUOTING THE OPPONENT
Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald
On the win overall…
"Atlanta was playing really good on defense initially. But man, I'm really happy and proud of our second half. The guys stacked plays and played complementary football. … Much deserved win. The guys had a great week. Let's not take these East Coast trips for granted. This is not easy, and Atlanta's a good football team, so really proud of our guys."
Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold
On how good wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba is…
"I give a lot of credit to those guys in Atlanta, especially their DBs. I felt like on tape, just watching them, they're some of the best in the league. I just feel like 'Jax' is a really good player. There's nothing much else to be said other than that."
GAME LEADERS
Top passers
- Seahawks: Sam Darnold | 20-of-30 for 249 yards, 3 touchdowns (1 interception, 2 sacks)
- Falcons: Kirk Cousins | 15-of-30 for 162 yards (2 interceptions, 1 sack)
Top rushers
- Falcons: Bijan Robinson | 20 carries for 86 yards
- Seahawks: Zach Charbonnet | 7 carries for 46 yards
- Falcons: Tyler Allgeier | 11 carries for 34 yards
Top receivers
- Seahawks: Jaxon Smith-Njigba | 7 receptions for 92 yards, 2 touchdowns
- Falcons: Kyle Pitts Sr. | 6 receptions for 90 yards
- Seahawks: Rashid Sheed | 4 receptions for 67 yards
Top tacklers
- Seahawks: Ernest Jones IV | 11 total tackles, 5 solo
- Falcons: A.J. Terrell Jr. | 8 total tackles, 7 solo (1 pass breakup, 1 forced fumble)
- Seahawks: Devon Witherspoon | 7 total tackles, 5 solo (1 fumble recovery)
LAST CALL
The Falcons (4-9) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) have a quick turnaround in Week 15 before playing on the "TNF on Prime Video" game at Raymond James Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:15 p.m. ET.
The Buccaneers are coming off a Week 14 home loss of their own, falling 24-20 to the New Orleans Saints. Tampa Bay is still atop the division, but the Carolina Panthers match its record.
The first time the Falcons and Buccaneers faced was in Week 1, when Tampa Bay won 23-20 in Atlanta.
Get an inside look at the matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and the Seattle Seahawks at Mercedes-Benz Stadium during Week 14, presented by Grady.
