One day after starting a mini-controversy, Atlanta’s Raheem Morris tried to defuse the situation.
“I don’t want to make it a ‘Snapgate,’ which I probably already did,” the Falcons head coach said a day after his team fell 24-23 to the New England Patriots.
Morris said after the game that Atlanta center Ryan Neuzil snapped a ball early on the Falcons’ final possession because Patriots players “were clapping, simulating our snap.” Neuzil said after the game that he thought he heard a clap, which is quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s signal for the snap in hurry-up situations, but a replay of the game didn’t appear to show any New England players clapping, and Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel seemed confused by Morris’ assertion.
“I’m trying to not waste any more time looking for somebody clapping. I don’t see anything,” Vrabel said Monday. That wasn’t anybody’s intent. I don’t think we’ve ever coached that or talked about that. Can’t spend that much time focused on it. I did look at it briefly, don’t think that was anything we did.”
Mike Vrabel on the Falcons claiming the #Patriots simulated their snaps by clapping:
“I mean, I didn’t see anything. Like is that fake? I don’t know…
Clapgate… That was new. I didn’t see that… Maybe that’s a testament to our fans… They got loud.”
(🎥 @TheGregHillShow) https://t.co/N79NlqymBn pic.twitter.com/Ni8MP1P9kT
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) November 3, 2025
If a defensive player claps to simulate the snap count, it results in a 15-yard penalty and an automatic first down, which would have put Atlanta close to field goal range, but Morris said Monday that his Sunday comments were simply based on “our players telling us they simulated the snap out there.”
“They heard something,” Morris said. “Obviously (Neuzil) did, that’s why he snapped it. There was no intent to say (the Patriots) did anything wrong. It was our fault. It was on us. We can’t snap the ball early, no matter what anyone does. That was just me being angry yesterday when somebody asked me what happened.”
Calling all kickers
Morris didn’t announce a change at kicker Monday, but it won’t be a surprise if one comes soon. Parker Romo, who was signed earlier this season after Atlanta released veteran Younghoe Koo, missed an extra point that would have tied the game with 4:40 left. Romo has made 11-of-14 field goal attempts since joining the Falcons in Week 2.
“We have to look at (making a change),” Morris said.
Atlanta has already worked out multiple free agent kickers this season and has Ben Sauls and Lenny Krieg on the practice squad. Krieg, who will be returning to his native Berlin when the Falcons play the Colts in Germany on Sunday, is considered a developmental prospect and is unlikely to be a candidate for the starting job this week.
“We can bring people in and figure out what it’s going to look like this week,” Morris said. “You have to make that kick. It has to be fixed, and it has to be fixed right now.”
Wait-and-see on injuries up front
There’s no update on the health of starting guards Matthew Bergeron (ankle) or Chris Lindstrom (foot), Morris said Monday.
“We will give those guys till Wednesday to see what is happening,” he said.
Bergeron left after the first series but could have come back in the game in an emergency, he said afterward, adding he didn’t feel his ankle was “stable enough” to return considering the way Kyle Hinton was playing in his place.
“I feel like Kyle was the better option,” Bergeron said. “He did a great job. I’ll get treatment all week, take care of it, and hopefully be back next game.”
Lindstrom missed the game’s final two series but was walking without any brace or support in the locker room after the game.
“You’re a star, keep being a star.” – Stefon Diggs to @DrakeLondon_ @insidetheNFL Week 9 Mic’d Up on X pic.twitter.com/h7AWuqHZGv
— NFL (@NFL) November 3, 2025
London rising
The Falcons still are struggling to find a third wide receiver, but they might not need a third one or even a second one if Drake London keeps playing like this. London is fifth in the league in receiving yards per game since Week 5. In the four games he has played since then, he’s averaging 106 yards and has caught four touchdowns with no drops.
“He’s the same person he’s been since I got here, a guy who is going to make big-time plays in big-time moments,” Penix Jr. said. “That’s just him. Every time he goes out there on the field, he’s a special player and he does special things.”
London had a career-high three touchdown catches and 118 yards against the Patriots.
“We talked about uncommon effort (Saturday) night, and what he did today was come out and play with uncommon effort,” Morris said.
London’s effort made it clear how much his absence against Miami in Week 8 affected the Falcons, whose passing game mostly has become swing passes to Bijan Robinson, third-down targets for Kyle Pitts and feeding London, who is sixth in the league in team target percentage (29.5). Second wide receiver Darnell Mooney is only getting 10 percent of Atlanta’s passing targets and has 12 catches for 173 yards.
London didn’t want to talk much about his game afterward, but he did acknowledge he came into the day motivated by facing Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
“Most definitely,” he said. “He’s a killer corner, and he’s proven that since he’s been in the league. It was a really fun matchup. It got feisty out there a couple times.”
Pass rush by committee
After Sunday’s six-sack performance, Atlanta is 12th in the league in sacks with 22 despite not having a player with more than 3.5. Thirteen Falcons now have at least half a sack after LaCale London got the first and second of his career against New England. Jalon Walker helped turn the tide of the game with a strip sack of Drake Maye late in the first half that was returned to the 6-yard line by fellow rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr.
“That was just Walk making a great play when we needed it and me being in the right place at the right time,” Pearce said. “You see how much he means to the team with his energy and the plays he made out there today.”
It’s the type of play Pearce and Walker talked about making when they joined the team together this offseason, both players said in the locker room afterward.
“It felt great, just little plays like that give you confidence in this league,” Pearce said. “You feel like you’re finally at the party, you know what I’m saying?”