LAS VEGAS – Bijan Robinson led the way on the ground and the Atlanta Falcons got big special teams play from KhaDarel Hodge in an under-the-eye 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders Monday night.

Robinson had 125 yards on 22 carries. His work on the ground made up for the continued struggles of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who was 11 of 17 for 112 yards with a touchdown pass and an interception. Cousins ​​found wide receiver Drake London for a 30-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter.

Hodge had a blocked punt and another overturned punt, helping the Falcons win the field position battle that was desperately needed in a game that felt like a throwback to the past. Edge rusher DeAngelo Malone had two sacks, safety Justin Simmons had an interception and the Falcons earned their first safety of the season.

The Falcons (7-7) snapped their four-game losing streak and are back at .500. With seven wins, they have equaled their total win total from the last three seasons, with three games left to play. Atlanta is still in playoff contention.

That’s the good news.

The bad news is that during this slide, the Falcons went from running away with the NFC South – at 6-3 with a division record of 4-0 – to almost running away. And nothing about a low-rated, ugly win against the woeful Raiders will make fans confident about how this team will perform the rest of the way, especially considering the team above them in the standings is the red-hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The biggest question mark for the future remains Cousins. He has nine interceptions against just one touchdown pass in the last five games. The Falcons limited him as much as possible in their offensive game plan Monday night, but that’s not a long-term — or even short-term — solution. It’s not what Atlanta spent $180 million on in the offseason over four years.

Two words: The dream of the specialists. The Falcons got a blocked punt and a tipped punt from Hodge, Kevin King blocked an extra point, and punter Bradley Pinion held the Raiders inside the 10-yard line four times, including inside the 5 twice in a low-scoring field contest.

Worrying trend: It seemed like the Falcons’ strategy was to keep Cousins ​​from throwing the ball as much as possible. He didn’t throw a pass on first down once in the first half, the first time that happened to him in his career. That might have worked against the Raiders, but it’s not a solution to Cousins’ problems.

Key game: Cousins ​​found London for a 30-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, which was basically all the Falcons needed. It was the longest touchdown catch of London’s career. He now has five straight prime-time games with a touchdown reception, tied for his longest streak in 10 years. – Marc Raimondi

Next game: vs. New York Giants (1 p.m. ET, Fox, Sunday)

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The Raiders lost their 10th straight game – their longest losing streak this season since starting the 2014 season at 0-10 – and remained on track for a top-two draft pick.

With the loss to the Falcons, Las Vegas tied with the Giants for the worst record in the NFL. The team will face the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-11) on Sunday in a No. 1 elimination game of sorts.

Las Vegas was already decimated by injuries – the Raiders were missing their top two QBs as well as Pro Bowl edge rusher Maxx Crosby – and also lost new starting running back Sincere McCormick to an ankle injury in the second quarter.

Most surprising performance: Three sacks from a defensive front missed Crosby. Undrafted rookie defensive tackle Jonah Laulu got his first career sack, while fellow DT Adam Butler got sack No. 3.5 of the season and defensive end Tyree Wilson, last year’s first-round pick, got his fourth sack of 2024.

Forecast for next week: An ultra-conservative offensive game plan showed little to no confidence in third-street quarterback Desmond Ridder, who joined the team on Oct. 22 in a “what have they got to lose” game. So why not throw out undrafted rookie QB Carter Bradley, who has been in Las Vegas since April, against the Jaguars just to see what he’s got? Especially if Aidan O’Connell’s bone bruise on his left knee keeps him out again.

QB breakdown: At one point near the end of the second quarter, Ridder had almost as many rushing yards as he had passing yards. He finished the game with 208 yards and completed 23 of 29 attempts with one TD and two INTs. According to ESPN Research, he was 0 of 6 with an interception on throws of at least 15 yards downfield midway through the fourth quarter.

Key game: It’s a tie – running back Alexander Mattison fumbles on his first carry since Nov. 17 on Las Vegas’ first possession and running back Ameer Abdullah Fair catches a punt inside the Raiders’ 5-yard line. Mattison’s turnover didn’t result in an immediate goal for Atlanta in what was then a scoreless game, but it set the tone. And two snaps after Abdullah’s fair catch, Mattison was sacked for a safety in the end zone, giving the Falcons a 9-3 lead. – Paul Gutierrez

Next game: vs. Jaguars (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS, Sunday)