Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan couldn’t stop the bleeding in the second half as New England quarterback Tom Brady led a furious charge.

Ryan was stymied by a sack on a questionable pass-play call on a third-and-1. A holding calling on Jake Matthews also push the Falcons out of field goal range with the game hanging in the balance.

Some contended that the play-calling by offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was too conservative in the second half. Shanahan, who’s set to be named San Francisco’s head coach, may have been distracted by his new job.

Ryan didn’t think the play-calling was too conservative.

“I thought Kyle did a good job for us tonight and we had some opportunities to make plays,” Ryan said. “We just missed a couple of things and just made a few mistakes and ultimately when you’re playing a really good football team like New England, those mistakes ended costing us.”

Ryan was stunned by the loss.

“There’s nothing you can really say,” Ryan said. “That’s a tough loss. Obviously (we’re) very disappointed, very close to getting done what we wanted to get done, but it’s hard to find words tonight.”

About the Author

Keep Reading

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) attempts a pass  during overtime of an NFL football game against the Carolina Panthers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025. The Carolina Panthers beat the Atlanta Falcons 30-27. (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Featured

Lt. Gov. Burt Jones — pictured at an August rally in Peachtree City that also featured Vice President JD Vance — appears to have scored another legal victory over gubernatorial rival Attorney General Chris Carr in their battle over campaign finance issues. (Arvin Temkar/AJC 2025)

Credit: Arvin Temkar / AJC