LAS VEGAS — Ahead most of the game, including by double digits in the fourth quarter, the Atlanta Falcons were just trying to hold on at the end.
The Raiders had two passes into the end zone. Two passes to steal a victory and hand Atlanta a considerable setback to its playoff hopes.
Desmond Ridder's first attempt was incomplete and his second was intercepted by Jessie Bates III, allowing Atlanta to escape Las Vegas with a 15-9 victory Monday night and keep pace in the NFC South.
The Falcons (7-7) ended a four-game losing streak to remain a game behind the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Atlanta owns the head-to-head tiebreaker in a close race with three games remaining.
''That's where you want to be, and that's exactly where we're at,'' Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. ''We've got a short week. We've got to get back in the lab. We've got to find ways to fix what we did wrong tonight and come out and get another win.''
Atlanta has a favorable remaining schedule, facing two teams with a combined five wins that sandwich a trip to 9-5 Washington. Tampa Bay has a similar finishing stretch.
A potential No. 1 overall draft pick rather than playoff scenarios make up most of the conversation regarding Las Vegas (2-12). The Raiders lost their 10th consecutive game, the NFL's longest active skid, and are tied with the New York Giants for the league's worst record. It is the fifth-longest skid in Raiders history, and worst since dropping 16 straight a decade ago.
Kirk Cousins entered with no touchdown passes and eight interceptions over his previous four starts, raising questions about whether rookie Michael Penix Jr. would take over at quarterback for Atlanta. Morris stuck by Cousins — who signed a four-year, $180 million contract this year — over the eighth pick in the NFL draft.