The final game of NFL Week 17 delivered a shock and a showcase. Under the bright lights of Monday Night Football at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Monday, Dec. 29, 8:15 p.m. ET), the Atlanta Falcons upset the Los Angeles Rams 27-24. Atlanta punched early, held on late, and ruined the Rams’ push for the NFC’s top seed. It was equal parts grit, speed, and nerve—finished by a 51-yard winner from Zane Gonzalez.

This was not just a nice win for a 7-9 team. It was a spoiler with teeth. The Rams slipped to 11-5 and, more importantly, dropped in NFC playoff seeding, sliding to sixth at the final whistle (with a path only as high as fifth). For the Falcons, it’s a third straight victory and a reminder that talent plus belief can rattle any contender.

Bijan Robinson sets the tone on a big stage

From the opening drives, Bijan Robinson was the best player on the field. The second-year star lit the crowd with a 4-yard touchdown catch from Kirk Cousins to make it 7-0. He didn’t slow down. Robinson broke the game open again with a stunning 93-yard touchdown later, a lightning strike that flipped the temperature inside the dome. It wasn’t just the yards—it was the way he earned them: patience at the line, one sharp cut, and then gone.

Robinson’s night was the difference between a good plan and a winning result. Atlanta used him as a runner and a receiver, keeping the Rams’ defense off balance. Every time Los Angeles crept close, Robinson’s burst and vision turned the math back in Atlanta’s favor.

“Bijan just outplayed everyone—simple as that.”

Rams’ furious rally after a quiet first half

The Rams were shut out in the first half (Q1: 0, Q2: 0), a rare sight for an offense led by Matthew Stafford in an MVP-level season. But Los Angeles came out of the locker room swinging, dropping 17 points in the third quarter to drag the game back into a fight. Stafford rifled a 27-yard touchdown, the special teams delivered a huge moment when rookie edge Jared Verse blocked a Falcons field goal and took it back for a score, and the Rams squeezed a field goal to complete the surge.

By the fourth quarter, the building was tense. Puka Nacua, so often Stafford’s safety valve, found space and hands for a game-tying touchdown. Suddenly, a game that Atlanta had controlled became a coin flip.

“That third-quarter Rams run felt like a playoff storm—then it faded.”

Defense and the tiny plays that decide big games

Atlanta’s defense won key snaps that never make a highlight reel, and those snaps won the game. The Falcons stuffed the Rams on fourth down multiple times, stonewalling short fields and stealing momentum. Even more, Stafford’s second interception turned into points for Atlanta—a classic January-style swing where a single mistake carries a double cost.

For the Falcons, those stops were proof of structure and trust. They kept everything in front, rallied to the ball, and tackled. That is how you beat a team with stars like Stafford and Nacua even when the yardage isn’t perfect.

Gonzalez from 51: the clean strike that sealed it

When the moment came, Zane Gonzalez made it look calm. His 51-yard field goal was true from the snap, a no-doubt ball that split the uprights for 27-24. The kick capped a poised late drive led by Cousins, who managed the clock, took what the defense gave, and let his kicker win it.

In a game where special teams had already swung once for Los Angeles, Atlanta answered with a bigger swing at the end.

“Verse gave the Rams life, Gonzalez took it right back.”

Scoreboard, splits, and the story in numbers

• Final: Falcons 27, Rams 24
• Quarter by quarter (Rams): 0-0-17-7
• Quarter by quarter (Falcons): 7-14-3-3
• Records: Rams 11-5; Falcons 7-9
• Setting: Monday, Dec. 29, 2025, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta

Atlanta burst ahead 21-0 by halftime and had enough answers to weather the Rams’ wave after the break. The Falcons showed balance and patience. The Rams showed heart and fire. In a tight, playoff-style fourth quarter, the home team made the last play.

What it means for January

This loss hurts Los Angeles more than the score suggests. The Rams entered the night hunting the NFC’s top seed. They left facing a tougher road, sliding to the sixth seed with a chance to finish fifth at best. For a veteran quarterback like Stafford, that could mean extra flights, extra noise, and thinner margins.

For Atlanta, the win is a proof-of-concept. Three straight victories have moved this team from frustration to foundation. Robinson is the headliner, but the defense’s fourth-down stands and the late-game poise from Cousins and Gonzalez are the kind of traits that carry into next season.

Betting angle: big dog wins, points go over

The Rams closed as 7-point favorites with a total of 49. The Falcons not only covered; they won outright. The 51 points nudged past the total, making it a clean “over.” It was a result that matched the eye test: explosive plays, dramatic swings, and one perfect kick to finish.

The bottom line

Monday Night Football is made for nights like this. A star back shines, a contender stumbles, and the playoff picture shifts by the inch. The Rams will be fine—Stafford and Nacua make them dangerous anywhere. But the Falcons owned this stage. They hit first, they hit last, and they earned the roar that followed Gonzalez’s 51-yard dagger.

Sometimes, an upset is a fluke. This one felt like a message.