ATLANTA - A last-minute interception by Foye Oluokun was the latest piece of evidence that the Atlanta Falcons are learning to win close games in their first season under coach Arthur Smith.
Matt Ryan threw a tiebreaking 12-yard touchdown pass to Hayden Hurst early in the fourth quarter, and Atlanta held on late to beat the Detroit Lions 20-16 on Sunday and preserve its slim playoff hopes.
"It's a gritty group for sure," Ryan said of the Falcons (7-8), who went 4-12 last season and haven't had a winning record or reached the playoffs since the 2017 season.
With the NFL having moved to a 17-game regular season this year, Atlanta can finish above .500 by winning out against the Buffalo Bills and the New Orleans Saints - and might even make the postseason as a wild card in the NFC.
"It hasn't been perfect by any stretch of the imagination throughout the year, but when we've been in one-score games we've done a good job," said Ryan, a 14th-year pro with a history of fourth-quarter comebacks that earned him the nickname "Matty Ice."
The Falcons improved to 7-2 in one-possession games this season, including four wins by no more than four points.
Oluokun's interception of Lions fill-in quarterback Tim Boyle's pass at the Atlanta 1-yard line with 33 seconds remaining preserved the win. Boyle's pass was intended for Kalif Raymond.
"My eyes brought me over there," Oluokun said. "I just made a play on the ball when it came."
Boyle, who made his second career start as Jared Goff remained on the COVID-19 reserve list for Detroit (2-12-1), acknowledged he made the wrong read on Atlanta's defense.
"Looking back, it was man coverage," Boyle said. "I worked the zone coverage side. That was my mistake."
Atlanta wide receiver Russell Gage's lost fumble with 2:18 remaining set up the Lions' last possession at the Atlanta 37. The fumble was forced by Jalen Reeves-Maybin and recovered by Dean Marlowe.
"We felt like we had total control of the game and we were going to go down there and score," said Lions coach Dan Campbell, who is still in search of his first road win in his debut season. "It was set up perfectly for us."
The Falcons began the day knowing they had to win their final three regular-season games to protect hopes of making the playoffs, though even that may not be enough.
Ryan's 19-yard pass to rookie tight end Kyle Pitts set up the go-ahead touchdown. Hurst then beat linebacker Charles Harris, who spent the 2020 season with the Falcons, to snap a 13-13 tie.
The Lions answered with a 17-play drive that consumed 10 minutes and 26 seconds but stalled at the 5. Riley Patterson made a 26-yard field goal to pull the visitors within what wound up being the final margin.
Without starting quarterback Goff, the Lions couldn't maintain the momentum gained by last week's surprising 30-12 win over the Arizona Cardinals. The visitors were called for six offside penalties Sunday.
Boyle was 24-of-34 passing for 187 yards, including a 20-yard touchdown to Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the costly interception. A starter in college at Connecticut and then Eastern Kentucky, Boyle signed as an undrafted free agent with the Green Bay Packers three years ago and spent his first few NFL seasons as a reserve behind three-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.
"I just went into this game feeling really comfortable," Boyle said. "For it to end like that is heartbreaking. It really is."
Said Campbell: "I thought Tim played well through the course of the day. You take away the last play and there was a third-down fade throw to Josh Reynolds that I would've liked to see him hit. But otherwise I thought he played quick and efficient and clean and certainly gave us a chance. He wasn't a hindrance to us at all."
The Lions also were without running back D'Andre Swift, who missed his fourth consecutive game with a sprained right shoulder despite returning to practice this past week. Detroit cornerback Amani Oruwariye was placed on injured reserve before the game with a thumb injury, ending his season.
St. Brown had nine catches for 91 yards. He joined Calvin Johnson as the only Lions players with four consecutive games with eight or more catches.
For Atlanta, Ryan was 18-of-24 for 215 yards and Pitts caught six passes for 102 yards, including a 35-yard sideline catch in the third quarter.
The Falcons finally earned their first true home win after five losses at Mercedes-Benz Stadium under Smith. They were the designated home team for a 27-20 win in London over the New York Jets on Oct. 10.
Cordarrelle Patterson, Atlanta's versatile back, didn't make the Pro Bowl despite excelling as a runner, receiver and return specialist this season, his first with the Falcons. The 30-year-old former University of Tennessee standout's 1,421 combined yards entering Sunday's game ranked fifth in the NFL this year.
Patterson made a comment about the Pro Bowl snub with a message written on a red cleat the day after Christmas: "No Pro Bowl? No Problem!" A green Grinch was painted on his other shoe.
However, Patterson had seven carries for only 14 yards and lost a yard on his only catch against the Lions.