The Eagles decided not to catch a punt, and it cost them the lead against the Falcons

It was a disaster of a play.

After a poor offensive possession by the Falcons following the Eagles’ first touchdown of the game, Atlanta caught a break thanks to the Philadelphia special teams.

Matt Bosher’s punt soared through the air and was touched by the Eagles’ Bryan Braman. That allowed the Falcons to swarm to the football and recover it at the Eagles 18-yard line:

The play would be reviewed, but it was a clear fumble that was recovered by the Falcons. It was a poor decision by the punt returner, who could have simply called for a fair catch and stepped up to the football.

On the following play, Mohamed Sanu was attempting to catch a pass in the end zone and took a hit to the head. The Eagles were penalized on the play, giving the Falcons a first-and-goal from the 9-yard line.

The rest of the drive wasn’t pretty, but the Falcons ended it with a flip/skyhook/dump touchdown pass from Matt Ryan to Devonta Freeman:

The score gave the Falcons a 10-6 lead.