Players are usually happy to score touchdowns, but that wasn’t the case for Falcons running back Todd Gurley late in Sunday’s game against the Lions.
Gurley scored with 1:04 left in a game that the Lions were leading 16-14. The touchdown and ensuing two-point conversion gave the Lions a six-point lead, but Gurley wanted to go down outside the end zone in order to eat clock and keep the Lions from coming back.
The Lions got the ball back and drove for a game-tying Matthew Stafford touchdown pass on the final play of the game. Matt Prater’s extra point made them 23-22 winners and left Gurley feeling “mad as hell” at himself for not getting down.
“I was trying not to. . . . It’s one of them unfortunate situations,” Gurley said, via Michael Rothstein of ESPN.com. “I’ve been, I mean, plenty of those situations my rookie year, six or seven, and I’ve always got down. It was an unfortunate one right there.”
Lions head coach Matt Patricia applauded his players for letting Gurley run loose toward the end zone and allowing a touchdown that led to them getting their third win of the season.