Take 5: Five quick takeaways from the Falcons’ victory over the Rams

If you went to sleep at halftime, you probably slept well.

Otherwise, you experienced the Rams’ second-half comeback to tie the game at 24 in the fourth quarter.

All the Falcons fans are going to rest easy, after Zane Gonzalez saved the day with a 51-yard field goal in the final minute for a 27-24 win on Monday Night Football at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Here are five quick takeaways from the Falcons’ win:

Bijan stars again

Almost every Take 5 this season has featured a section on Bijan Robinson. This week is no different. Robinson was the star on a night when the Los Angeles Rams’ top-ranked scoring offense was the focus entering the game.

Robinson stole the spotlight with an electrifying 93-yard touchdown, going with his receiving touchdown to make a spectacular first half for the Falcons.

With his all-around game, Robinson again conjured Falcons coach Raheem Morris to say that he’s the best player in the NFL.

He’s getting more evidence for his case each week.

Robinson finished with 22 carries for 195 yards and the two combined touchdowns.

Defense makes an impression

Who had the Falcons’ defense as the star of the game? It was staggering to see how dominant the Falcons were in the first half, en route to the 21-0 lead.

Jessie Bates’ pick-six was a thrilling play early that helped the Falcons’ momentum, as the Falcons extended their lead to 14-0.

Add to that the fourth-down stop earlier in the game by Khalid Kareem on a fourth-down play when the Rams were looking to get on the scoreboard early.

No dice.

It was the first tone-setter that let the Falcons fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium believe that this game was going to be different — at least, from a defensive perspective.

The Falcons also had three sacks in the first half, before Stafford got things going.

More special-teams woes

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the Falcons gave up a big special teams play.

In the third quarter, the Falcons were setting up for a 37-yard field goal that would have extended their lead to 17 points. Instead, the Rams’ Jared Verse jumped through the line, blocked the field goal, picked up the loose ball and ran 76 yards for a touchdown.

Game changed.

The Rams’ special-teams touchdown helped keep the game within reach as they were rallying in the second half. they had scored on their first two possessions of the third quarter, with a field goal then a touchdown, but Verse’s big play made the Rams believe they could stay in the game.

The Falcons’ woes on special teams have gone on for most of the season, but this one was particularly tough because of when it happened, with the Falcons trying to put the game out of reach.

Gonzalez could be the answer

It’ll get lost in the rest of the dramatics of the rest of the game, but the Falcons may have found their long-term answer at kicker.

Zane Gonzalez hit a 56-yard field goal that boosted the lead to 24-10. That, as Gonzalez’s career long is 57 yards.

Although that may seem pretty pedestrian, that’s an upgrade over what they’ve had over the past two seasons, so it might be worth keeping Gonzalez, provided he continues to gives that security in the final game against the Saints.