Some NFL franchises are afforded the benefit of the doubt due to their historical success, allowing them to take significant risks and explore new strategies. The Atlanta Falcons, however, are not in that category.
This offseason, the Falcons made bold moves, signing veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins and selecting another quarterback with their first-round draft pick, alongside a complete philosophical overhaul under new head coach Raheem Morris. High expectations surrounded the team, especially following a positive training camp.
However, the regular season has begun poorly for Atlanta. The Falcons lost their season opener to the Pittsburgh Steelers 18-10, in a manner that left fans disheartened once again. Cousins threw two interceptions, struggled to advance the ball, and faltered in the second half of a game that remained winnable until the final minutes.
“I was disappointed, certainly disappointed,” Cousins said post-game, with Falcons owner Arthur Blank present. “You always go out there with an expectation that you’re going to play at a high level and we didn’t play up to our standard today.”
Cousins, who had embraced a leadership role during training camp, appeared overwhelmed and ineffective against Pittsburgh. He completed just 16 of 29 passes for 155 yards, with one touchdown and two interceptions. Despite the setback, Cousins emphasized the need to move forward and treat each game independently.
“We have to flush it and understand that it’s a loss,” Cousins said. “You have to move forward and treat every game as its own entity. That’s where you go really after a win or a loss. That’s where your mind has to go.”
Coach Morris acknowledged the need for Cousins to improve but expressed confidence in his ability to bounce back. “We know he has to play better, there’s no doubt about that,” Morris said. “He’s played in the league for a long time, and I look forward to [him] bouncing back from a rough game and a rough outing. I’m not overly concerned with that.”
The game plan against Pittsburgh was adequate, as evidenced by Atlanta’s lone touchdown drive, where Cousins was perfect on 7-of-7 passing for 82 yards. However, inconsistent execution throughout the game highlighted a need for improvement in real-game conditions.
“You’ve got to avoid critical errors,” Cousins said. “We always say that but we’ve got to do it. I think if we do that and we keep ourselves manageable down-and-distances, I think today showed we can be a productive offense. But when we hurt ourselves, it’s tough to overcome.”
The defeat was particularly painful as the game was not expected to be a guaranteed win; the pregame line favored Pittsburgh by just a field goal. The presence of numerous Steelers fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium further compounded the loss, turning the venue into a sea of Pittsburgh support.
“I’ve seen so much and been around so much where you don’t have good days, but you better take them all as learning experiences and be able to go out there and learn from them,” Morris said. “And we’ve got to go out there and figure out a way to fix that quickly and, you know, urgently.”
The Falcons face a challenging schedule ahead, starting with a Monday Night Football matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles. Atlanta’s poor Monday Night Football record (15-28) and Cousins’ struggles in such games (3-10) could exacerbate the situation.
Following that, the Kansas City Chiefs will visit Atlanta, potentially creating a second consecutive home game where Falcons fans might be outnumbered by opposing supporters.
The margin for error is slim for Atlanta, and an 0-3 start could intensify calls for change, including potential consideration of rookie Michael Penix Jr. as a solution. Despite the lengthy season and the struggling NFC South division, a mediocre performance will not suffice. The Falcons must overcome their past shortcomings to reshape their franchise successfully.
