Todd Gurley is the tragic figure in the Atlanta Falcons’ home defeat by the Detroit Lions. Because the running back runs to the touchdown, which his team could not use at all.

When you score a touchdown and the opposing team suddenly stands next to you cheering, something must have gone fundamentally wrong.

Todd Gurley was also aware of this when he gave his Atlanta Falcons a 20-14 lead in their home game against the Detroit Lions.

Although the final phase of the game was already underway, the score simply came too early. The guests knew that. Gurley knew that too. The three-time pro bowler wanted to stop his run over ten yards before the goal line, but he was unable to do so in the full sprint.

Gurley is “furious” after a faux pas
“I’m pissed off,” Gurley said self-critically a little later: “I tried to prevent it, but I couldn’t slow my momentum down anymore.

If he had plummeted to the ground in time for the first down, the Falcons could have run down the clock and secured victory with a very short field goal at the end.

But this way, the Lions around Matthew Stafford had a good minute to turn a six-point deficit around after the subsequent two-point conversion.

The passer threw three long passes over 13, 22 and 29 yards to send Tight End T.J. Hockenson into the end zone from 11 yards with two seconds on the clock on National Tight End Day. The winning extra point by Matt Prater at 23:22 was then only a formality.

Todd Gurley tried to stop from scoring to run the clock out, but couldn't hold up.

The Lions scored the game-winning TD with 0 seconds on the clock.

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/fHzvijXR4m

— ESPN (@espn) October 25, 2020

Gurley takes responsibility
Gurley would probably have preferred to sink into the ground at this moment at the latest. “I am man enough to take responsibility for it. I should not have scored,” emphasized the first-round pick of the 2015 draft.

On the Internet, the once best-paid running back in the NFL was of course directly made a mockery of. A comparison with the stumbling block of Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in the Thursday Night Game against the Philadelphia Eagles was not to be missed.

Todd Gurley in the endzone

pic.twitter.com/y6SE10Rzpn

— Pab (@NombreEsBurner) October 26, 2020

Todd #Gurley hätte sich mal ne Scheibe von Daniel Jones abschneiden sollen… 🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/94UHjJsdLR

— Sebastian Stolz (@CallMeStolle) October 25, 2020

Ryan praises Gurley: “Great runs” shown
But Matt Ryan defended his running back: “This is a tough situation for any player. When you rush out and pick up the pace, it’s always difficult. It’s just disappointing that the game ended that way”. Matty Ice” further praised Gurley for “busting his ass” and “making some great runs”.

Head Coach Raheem Morris added to the touchdown, which no one in Atlanta was really happy about: “We knew it would be the ideal opportunity for them if we could get into the end zone and give them the chance to strike back. That’s why we wanted to go down on the one yard line and he obviously tried to do so, but fell into the end zone at the last second because he tripped a bit”.

Gurley “should have done better.”
The unhappy Runner then looked ahead again: “You can blame yourself for this, blame yourself for that. But I am not such a person. I have tried to go down, but I am not. To ask for it is not good enough. I should have done it better.”

The next chance will be in the Thursday Night Game at Division rival Carolina Panthers. Gurley has probably never been so happy about a short breather.