Kirk Cousins threw his first touchdown pass in five weeks, and the Atlanta Falcons did just enough on Monday night to beat the struggling Las Vegas Raiders 15-9, staying in the race for the NFC South.
The Raiders tried to make a late comeback, with quarterback Desmond Ridder throwing two desperation passes into the end zone in the final 10 seconds. The first pass was incomplete, and the second was intercepted by Jessie Bates III.
The Falcons (7-7) ended a four-game losing streak and stayed one game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Atlanta holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Las Vegas (2-12) lost its 10th straight game, the longest active losing streak in the NFL. The Raiders are tied with the New York Giants for the worst record in the league. It’s the fifth-longest losing streak in the team’s history and the worst since they lost 16 games in a row a decade ago.
Cousins had no touchdown passes and eight interceptions in his last four games, which led to questions about whether rookie Michael Penix Jr. would replace him at quarterback. Falcons coach Raheem Morris stuck with Cousins, who signed a four-year, $180 million contract this season, instead of the eighth overall pick in the NFL draft.
Cousins didn’t ease concerns about his play, passing for only 112 yards with an interception. His 30-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Drake London with 14 seconds left in the first quarter gave Atlanta a 7-0 lead. It was his first touchdown pass since throwing three in a 27-21 win over the Dallas Cowboys on November 3.
The Falcons got the rest of their points from two field goals by Younghoe Koo and a safety by defensive lineman Zach Harrison.
Bijan Robinson ran for 125 yards, and London caught three passes for 53 yards, making his career total 219 receptions. London passed Calvin Ridley’s 217 catches for the most by a Falcons player in their first three seasons.
Atlanta kept Ridder from hurting its playoff chances. Ridder, who started 13 games for the Falcons last season before being traded to Arizona, struggled most of the night in his first start this season. He filled in for Aidan O’Connell, who was inactive due to a bruised left knee. Ridder threw for 208 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
The injury-plagued Raiders gained just 249 yards and have trailed by double digits in every game this season.
O’Connell wasn’t the only missing player. Defensive end Maxx Crosby announced on Saturday that he would undergo season-ending ankle surgery, and the Raiders were missing about half their starting defense.
Las Vegas also lost running back Sincere McCormick, who had recently become the starter, to an ankle injury early in the second quarter.
