Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons faced off against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 15. Atlanta came into this game on the back of four straight losses and desperately needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive.
The NFC South team pulled off a 15-9 win, aided by a controversial roughing-the-passer call against the Raiders. Fans on social media were quite angry, as they believed the officials bailed Cousins out.
Fans React to Refs’ Call in Favor of Kirk Cousins
The call came on a third down for the Falcons with less than three minutes left on the clock. Raiders’ star linebacker Robert Spillane was flagged for hitting Cousins, and Atlanta got an automatic first down, which helped the team run more time off the clock.
Here’s how the fans reacted to the officials’ decision:
Falcons bailed again. Unbelievable
— Jared Finger (@jared_finger) December 17, 2024
“In what world is this roughing the passer?” questioned one fan.
“This is an awful fu**ing call,” said a fan.
This was called as roughing the passer and sealed the game for the Falcons. If not called, the Raiders would be getting the ball back with two and a half minutes left with the two minute warning and one timeout left, down by six. Atrocious. pic.twitter.com/buqddMTtt4
— Steven Cheah (@StevenCheah) December 17, 2024
A fan added, “Awful call, refs have really ruined the NFL for me this season.”
“Refs ruining every sport,” said another fan.
This is unbearable. Disgusting and embarrassing. NFL is in a bad place right now. Unwatchable more often than not. https://t.co/QGwCoEzOXX
— JPBR (@BStackson) December 17, 2024
The Raiders eventually got the ball back with 1:50 left on the clock, but quarterback Desmond Ridder failed to execute a game-winning drive.
Ridder threw two Hail Mary attempts against his former team but was unable to convert. He ended the game 23-of-39 for 208 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in his first start for the Raiders.
The game’s outcome could have been different had the call not gone in favor of the Falcons, but similar things happen every other week. With this loss, the Raiders are currently positioned to have the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Losing games like this is never easy for the fans, but ultimately it could help them land the quarterback of their choice, including someone like Shedeur Sanders, who has oft been linked with Vegas.
Cousins Has Thrown an Interception in 5 Straight Games
Cousins came into this game under a lot of pressure, as many wanted the team to bench him in favor of Michael Penix Jr.; the veteran quarterback managed to win the game for his team but has now thrown an interception in five straight games.
Fortunately, he also connected with Drake London on a 30-yard touchdown, the quarterback’s first since Week 9’s game against Dallas. In 14 games this season, Cousins has thrown for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions, completing 66.9% of his throws.
The team hopes the four-time Pro Bowler will build on this performance as the Falcons have another favorable fixture next week. Atlanta will host New York in Week 16 and is expected to be favored.
With the win in Las Vegas, the Falcons are 7-7 on the season and are one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The race to win the NFC South will go down to the wire, but since Atlanta swept Tampa Bay in the season series, they can win the division even if both teams end up with the same record.
Here’s how the remaining fixtures look for both teams:
| Week | Falcons Schedule | Buccaneers Schedule |
| 16 | vs. New York Giants | at Dallas Cowboys |
| 17 | at Washington Commanders | vs. Carolina Panthers |
| 18 | vs. Carolina Panthers | vs. New Orleans Saints |
The Falcons’ game against the Commanders may be the toughest. The Buccaneers are currently on a four-game winning streak and have a good chance of winning out the rest of the way to seal the division title.