The Atlanta Falcons appeared to have a huge advantage in their Week 9 home game against the injury-plagued Minnesota Vikings. A week after the Vikings lost QB1 Kirk Cousins to a season-ending Achilles injury, backup quarterback Jaren Hall was knocked out of the game in the first quarter with a concussion. Falcons head coach Arthur Smith and quarterback Taylor Heinicke were unable to use this edge to their advantage as they dropped a 31-28 decision to the Vikings.

After the defeat, which finished a game-winning touchdown drive led by newcomer Josh Dobbs, Smith was upset that the Falcons let victory slip through their grasp. Heinicke had several positive moments throughout the game in his first start for the Falcons, but Smith would not commit to him as the starter going forward.

“Not right now,” Smith said. “We have to get back and evaluate. I'm not going to give you answer before we've looked at everything.”

Arthur Smith admitted there were a number of things he liked about the quarterback's performance. “We did turn the ball over. But I thought he operated well on third down. Obviously we'll huddle up and evaluate everything. But he did give us chances.”

Heinicke directed a drive late in the 4th quarter that gave the Falcons a 28-24 lead. He completed 21 of 38 passes for 268 yards with 1 TD pass and 1 interception. He also scrambled 3 times for 20 yards.

Dobbs, acquired by the Vikings days ago after the Cousins injury, trumped Heinicke when he led an 11-play, 75-yard game-winning drive that culminated with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Powell with 22 seconds left.