It would appear that no lead is safe for the 2020 Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons lost to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, and the way it happened was quite familiar. Atlanta blew a huge fourth-quarter lead for the second straight week. They were leading 26-10 when they punted the ball away with 9:10 remaining in the game, but they found a way to lose 30-26. The back-to-back losses mark the first time in the last 20 years that an NFL team has blown 15-point, fourth-quarter leads in a single season, let alone consecutive weeks.
Per @ESPNStatsInfo Over the last 20 seasons, no team has blown multiple 15-point 4th quarter leads in a single SEASON. Falcons on verge of doing so in back-to-back weeks.
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) September 27, 2020
Just like in their collapse against the Dallas Cowboys last week, the Falcons had more than a 99 percent win probability percentage at one point in the game.
The Falcons had a 99.9% win probability against the Cowboys and lost.
The Falcons had a 99.6% win probability against the Bears and lost.
Back to back weeks. pic.twitter.com/RoBag3lnHU
— Jordan Heck (@JordanHeckFF) September 27, 2020
The Falcons punted on three straight possessions in the fourth quarter, and the Bears responded with touchdowns all three times. Nick Foles threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter alone. He entered the game in the second half after Mitchell Trubisky was benched for throwing a horrible interception.
Atlanta had one final chance to battle back while trailing 30-26 with just under two minutes remaining, but the drive ended with a Matt Ryan interception.
The collapse has to make the Falcons and their fans sick. Although the mistake they made late in last week’s game was more embarrassing, blowing huge leads like that two weeks in a row is enough to shatter a team’s confidence. Falcons owner Arthur Blank was clearly unhappy after the Dallas loss, and he must be even more disgusted this week.
Keep in mind this is the same team that once led 28-3 in the second half of a Super Bowl and lost the game. Being a Falcons fan isn’t easy right now.
