How Puka Nacua’s near catch and a missed pass interference call doomed Rams in loss to Falcons

Daniel Chavkin

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How Puka Nacua’s near catch and a missed pass interference call doomed Rams in loss to Falcons image

The Atlanta Falcons pulled off an impressive upset win against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday night, holding off the potential NFC favorites 27-24.

Still, the Falcons needed a lot to go their way in the end to secure the victory. Los Angeles successfully came back from down 21 points to tie the game, and after the Falcons re-took the lead, the Rams had a chance to drive for a game-tying field goal at the end of the game.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford tried to push the ball down the field, but the Falcons were on the right side of a fews plays that prevented Los Angeles from tying the game. Whether it was a missed call or a few missed opportunities, the Rams ended the game thinking about what could have been.

Here's a breakdown of the end of the game.

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Did the refs miss a defensive pass interference on Tutu Atwell?

As the Rams were driving down three points, looking to get into field-goal range, Los Angeles had a few close calls. Matthew Stafford missed Xavier Smith on a deep pass, but he followed that with a deep ball to Tutu Atwell that fell incomplete.

However, on further review, it appears that the refs may have missed a pass interference on Atwell, which would've given Los Angeles the ball in the red zone. The entire ESPN booth, which included Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and rules analyst Russell Yurk, all believed that the Falcons got away with one.

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Did Puka Nacua catch the ball in final seconds?

On the very next play, Stafford tried to hit Puka Nacua near the sidelines, as Nacua appeared to make an outstanding, one-handed catch before falling out-of-bounds. The refs called the play incomplete, and on review, they let the call stand.

The Rams would go on to lose on the very next play, as they ran out of time before advancing into field-goal range.

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What’s next for the Rams?

Despite the loss, the Rams will still make the playoffs and are in decent position to earn the No. 5 seed in the NFC. For that to happen, Los Angeles needs to beat the Arizona Cardinals next week and have the Seattle Seahawks beat the San Francisco 49ets on Saturday night.

Therefore, the Rams will know their potential fate before they take the field in Week 18. Is the 49ers win, Los Angeles will not have anything to play for in the final week of the season.

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