The Atlanta Falcons' nail-biting finishes are a way of life

ATLANTA – All of the Atlanta Falcons' last-minute drama may be straining more than just Arthur Blank's nerves.

This time it came down to Younghoe Koo making the 58-yard field goal of his career with two seconds left – set up by a 30-yard pass interference penalty.

“From black hair to gray hair,” Blank, the Falcons’ 82-year-old owner, said after Sunday’s 26-24 win over the New Orleans Saints. “Soon it won’t have any hair left.”

Yes, these exciting finishes for the Dirty Birds have created a pattern that will leave you in awe.

Last week, the Falcons threatened to upset the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, but instead left Mercedes-Benz Stadium feeling robbed because an apparent pass interference went uncalled when tight end Kyle Pitts faced off against was manhandled in the end zone late in the fourth quarter.

In Week 2 at Philadelphia, they won 22-21 with a 7-yard touchdown catch by Drake London (and an extra-long conversion) that capped a last-minute drive that might not have mattered if Eagles running back Saquon Barkley If there had not been a drop, the previous possession would have been passed on.

There were some strange things that worked both ways.

To survive Sunday, the Falcons (2-2) didn't score an offensive touchdown – except for the one early in the fourth quarter when Bijan Robinson took a dump-off pass from Kirk Cousins and raced just 19 yards to the end zone wiping it out with one of Atlanta's nine penalties. The touchdowns came when KhaDarel Hodge recovered Rashid Shaheed's fumbled punt in the end zone and when Troy Andersen rushed 47 yards on a pop-up interception caused by Matthew Judon's deflection of a Derek Carr pass.

It's no wonder Cousins complained that there was “a lot to fix.”

They picked up just 14 first downs and converted a mediocre 36.4% of their third downs (4 of 11).

Still, the Falcons won when they couldn't afford to lose. A loss would have meant three straight home defeats to begin a season that began with the highest expectations in at least a half-dozen years. Instead, they began a three-game stretch against NFC South rivals – they'll host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night – with another example of resilience.

Raheem Morris, the Falcons' first-year coach, expects the decisive finish.

“It's about having the mental stamina enough to go out and push and pursue,” he said. “They fight every week and I’m proud of them.”

Morris had reason enough to imagine the recent end. During the typical situational drill at practice Friday, he said the Falcons had 56 seconds and no timeouts. On Sunday, the Falcons began the final drive at their 30-yard line with exactly one minute to play and no timeouts.

Deeper than any foreshadowing, the Falcons gained a large number of yards on a pass interference penalty in Friday's two-minute practice, in which they advanced the ball to set up a kick from Koo. In the real situation, the Falcons' biggest play in preparation for the field goal was the 30-yard pass interference penalty on Saints cornerback Paulson Adebo, who crashed into intended receiver Darnell Mooney.

“It’s crazy how ironic this is,” Mooney said. “We did that and it worked just as well. It’s the manifestation.”

Mooney, a fifth-year pro, admitted he had to take the penalty. Cousins intercepted the pass, claiming he wished he had thrown it further and allowed the receiver to run and get it.

Of course, he'll take the penalty — especially since he's on the other side of such a scenario as Chiefs safety Bryan Cook crashed into Pitts a week earlier.

“I just don’t want to leave it up to the referees,” Cousins said.

Mooney passed the ball on the fly after realizing the pass was undercut. He explained the ability to position himself in this situation and show his hands to catch the ball while being hindered by the cornerback.

In other words, it was a professional move.

“I’ve been working on this for a long time,” Mooney said. “And it worked today.”

During Friday's practice, the Falcons never got a real kick from Koo. But it was enough to prepare the kick. It was the same during the game. Koo, one of the NFL's most reliable kickers, had already hit field goals of 53, 44 and 42 yards on Sunday.

Still, it seemed a little strange that after the penalty moved the football to the Saints' 40-yard line, the Falcons attempted three consecutive deep shots instead of throwing a shorter pass to gain a few extra yards. Morris claimed that defensive coverage dictated where Cousins made those plays. Maybe yes. But if Koo's kick had fallen a little short, at second glance it would certainly have been open season.

Koo wasn't worried.

“When we hit 40, I knew I had a chance,” he recalled calmly. “I was just locked in, ready.”

Although his yardage entering Sunday was 54 yards, Koo said he has taken hits from as far as 65 yards in practice. For the game-winner, the kick sailed through the uprights with a margin of at least 5 yards.

“It ended up being a koo make or miss,” Morris said. “It didn’t matter where it came from. Koo wanted to get out of there.”

You might let some people pull your hair.

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