Why Falcons’ Darnell Mooney TD was shockingly taken off the board vs. Seahawks

Week 14 wasn’t very kind to the Atlanta Falcons, who were blown out by the Seattle Seahawks 37-9 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. While the loss was indeed frustrating, one play that really left the team and fans shaking their heads was Darnell Mooney’s disallowed touchdown.

It all happened late in the second quarter with the game tied 3-3 and Atlanta driving near Seattle’s 25-yard line on a 3rd-and-5. Quarterback Kirk Cousins launched a deep pass down the left sideline, and Mooney appeared to make a game-changing grab in the end zone. However, officials ruled the play incomplete.

To clear up the confusion, head referee Alex Kemp provided an explanation after the game during an interview with Josh Kendall, The Athletic’s Falcons pool reporter.

“We ruled that he did not re-establish himself back in bounds, that he went out on his own,” Kemp said. “He was not forced out.”

Kemp clarified that for Mooney to re-establish himself, he had to get both feet in bounds. Mooney did, but here’s why the play was still ruled incomplete.

“If he had (re-established himself in-bounds) and would have been the first to touch, it would have been a foul for illegal touching of a pass,” Kemp said. “The penalty enforcement for that would be the exact same as an incomplete pass. It’s loss of down at the previous spot. Had we ruled what we ruled or the other way, the result of the play would have been the exact same thing.”

Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris expressed frustration and sought a review of the play, hoping for potential defensive penalties such as pass interference or illegal contact. That said, Kemp confirmed that any challenge would have only reviewed whether Mooney was out of bounds, meaning the outcome would have remained unchanged.

Instead of converting the potential touchdown, the Falcons settled for a 43-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez, taking a three-point lead into halftime. The Seahawks immediately matched with a 48-yard field goal, sending the teams to the locker room tied 6-6.

The overturned score, though, wouldn’t have altered the eventual outcome; it was just one more letdown in a season full of disappointments.

Atlanta’s offense went 1-for-13 on third downs, and Kirk Cousins threw two interceptions while completing 15 of 20 passes for 162 yards. The team allowed a season-high 37 points, including a 100-yard kickoff return by Seattle.

The loss dropped the Falcons to 4-9 and eliminated them from playoff contention, continuing their postseason drought to eight seasons. They will next take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a short week in Thursday Night Football.

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