Falcons Fall Short as New England Extends Their Win Streak

On Sunday, November 2nd, 2025, the New England Patriots faced the Atlanta Falcons at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough. The Patriots were able to keep their momentum alive by barely defeating the Falcons, 24-23. The Patriots are now on a six-game winning streak, while the Falcons are now on a three-game losing streak. The game was a close, defensive battle, marked by mostly clean and explosive football. With key players nursing injuries on both teams, this battle was a nail-biter that ended in New England’s favor.

Atlanta’s Offense

The Falcons' offense was hot and cold today, either going three and out or stringing together strong drives downfield. Michael Penix Jr. completed 59% of his passes for 222 yards. His top targets were Kyle Pitts, who earned just 38 receiving yards, and Drake London, who went for 119 yards and three touchdowns. Bijan Robinson led the run game with 50 yards, but the team totaled only 71 rush yards over four quarters. Atlanta's offensive line struggled through Weeks Seven and Eight, but this week, they held up much better. The Patriots were able to keep heavy pressure on Penix, but only sacked him once. 

New England's Offense 

Drake Maye threw for 259 yards, with two touchdown passes for the Patriots. He spread the ball around the field today, targeting eight of his teammates and completing 66% of those passes. With Rhamondre Stevenson out with a toe injury, the Patriots' running back depth was defined by inexperience. However, the run game was driven by TreVeyon Henderson, who notched 55 yards rushing, and Terrell Jennings with 35 rushing yards. New England’s offensive line has been struggling to protect Maye—last week, Myles Garrett sacked Maye five times; the Falcons were able to take him down six times, once forcing a fumble. 

Defense

Defensively for the Patriots, Christian Gonzalez came up with two clutch pass breakups while leading the team with seven total tackles. For Atlanta, Dee Alford and Jalon Walker each broke up a pass, and AJ Terrell Jr. totaled eight tackles, the most for the defense. A key element in today's game was each team's ability to defend on third downs. The Patriots held the Falcons to one third-down conversion on 10 attempts, while Atlanta allowed New England to convert on eight of 12 third downs. 

Player Highlights 

Today, multiple players were able to make big, career games for themselves. Terrell Jennings stepped up big for New England in the absence of Stevenson and was able to earn his first career touchdown. Demario Douglas gave a great performance with a career high for yards in a single game, with an impressive 100 yards. He also caught his longest career catch from Maye’s longest career pass of 58 yards. On the opposing team, Penix scrambled for a 15-yard gain, the longest run of his career thus far. Drake London caught three touchdown passes, the most in any game of his career. 

Key Moments

A key moment for the Falcons was a sack by Jalon Walker that forced a fumble with less than 30 seconds in the second quarter. The ball was scooped up by James Pearce Jr. and later converted to a touchdown by Drake London. The play sparked momentum for Atlanta late in the first half, leaving them only down by a touchdown going into the second. Maye’s second turnover of the day came late in the third quarter. An overthrow was intercepted by Jessie Bates III, which the Falcons converted to a field goal to make it—once again—a one-touchdown game. Drake London notched his third touchdown of the day to make it a one-point game, then Parker Romo missed the extra point. The last drives for the Patriots ended in a punt. The Falcons also had to punt the ball away after a series of flags that left them at fourth and 20. The game ended with a Hunter Henry first-down catch and a one-point win for New England. 

Closing Remarks

Likely the biggest advantage that the Patriots had today was their management of the clock. New England drained most of the clock on offense and made tactful use of their timeouts, while the Falcons couldn’t make good use of time. The Patriots will face the Buccaneers next Sunday, riding the high of a six-game winning streak. The Falcons, on the other hand, are figuring out their next steps as they head home to face the Colts on a three-game losing streak. Ultimately, today’s game was exciting for football fans, and the Patriots remain undefeated against the Falcons since 1998.