Atlanta Falcons: Studs and duds from Week 16 vs. Chiefs

Stud: Hanging tough with the Chiefs, having a chance late

The biggest stud that took place in the game was the fact that Atlanta put up an impressive fight against one of the best teams in the NFL and arguably a favorite to win the Super Bowl at the end of the year.

While squaring off against a solid opposition on the other side of the field, the Falcons put up a strong performance and looked better than a 4-11 team in the game, which was a great sign although it resulted in a loss.

Atlanta had a chance late in the game on the road, even leading by four with 4:33 remaining and could have forced overtime in Kansas City, which is really all you can ask for. The Falcons almost shocked the NFL with an upset victory, and although there aren’t too many moral victories in the league, there was a lot of positivity to build on from the game.

Dud: Falling short in a winnable game

The Falcons led a few different times in the Week 16 contest against the Chiefs, including a first-half lead behind a second-quarter touchdown to go up 7-0 and even taking a 14-10 lead with less than five minutes remaining in the contest.

Even when Kansas City went out in front by three points in the final minutes of the game, the Falcons still had a chance to take the game or force overtime, but late-game execution was the biggest deciding factor for Atlanta in what ended up being a disappointing loss.

Whether it was missed opportunities throughout the course of the game, including a dropped interception in the endzone late that would have likely sealed the upset win or missing a game-tying field goal late that would have forced overtime, the Falcons had a great opportunity to steal the Week 16 game against the defending Super Bowl Champions. But for Atlanta, another game ends in disappointing fashion of blowing a lead.