NFL 2025 Week 4: What Should We Think of the Atlanta Falcons?
The Atlanta Falcons are maybe the most confusing 1-2 team in the NFL.
They opened their season with a close 23-20 loss at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If it weren’t for a missed Younghoe Koo kick, they could’ve won. The offense held its own, producing more total yards and time of possession than the Buccaneers despite just 48 rushing yards from running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier.
After that game, Head Coach Raheem Morris said they had to “find a way to run the football better.” In Week 2, they found that way–the Falcons dominated the Minnesota Vikings on the ground. Bijan Robinson carved up their defense for 143 rushing yards, and Allgeier added another 76 yards and a rushing TD. That led to a resounding 22-6 win, showing they weren’t aiming to be a bottom-tier team.
But then a shocking 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 3 stunned the team. The story was ugly: The Panthers, 0-2 before Week 3, didn’t even dominate. The Falcons' offense actually outgained theirs by 109 yards. But the Falcons' offense struggled to create. They failed to reach the red zone all day. Quarterback Michael Penix had just 172 yards on 36 pass attempts and two INTs, one of which was a pick-six to Chau Smith-Wade. Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard of Chau Smith-Wade before. I sure hadn’t, but after this game, his name was suddenly trending. If you’re the Falcons, you don’t want to be responsible for putting an opposing player on the map. The game got so bad that Raheem Morris put Kirk Cousins in when he thought the game was “out of hand.” For a team that seems to suddenly hate Kirk Cousins, having to put him in the game must’ve been a gut punch.
The defense didn’t play badly for a team that allowed 30 points, either. They allowed two rushing TDs in the red zone, but otherwise held the Panthers to 110 rushing yards and let QB Bryce Young get only 121 passing yards. The Falcons’ kicking woes continued, however. After releasing longtime kicker Younghoe Koo following new kicker Parker Romo’s perfect performance in Week 2, Romo, fresh off signing a two-year deal, went 0-2 on field goals.
Despite all this, I don’t believe the Falcons are that bad. Their defense has been solid–they’ve allowed just 52 points this season (an extra seven is added from Penix’s pick-six), which would give them the eighth-least points allowed so far. Their offense has struggled–they’re 31st in scoring offense–but they’re not giving up. The Falcons fired their wide receivers coach after no wide receiver or tight end had scored a TD in 3 weeks, which could help provide the wide receiver room a spark. Penix has had to throw the ball 30+ times in each of their two losses due to a floundering rushing attack, but the run game showed potential in Week 2. They’re bringing in kicking competition to try to solve their field goal problem. They’re taking the necessary steps to try to get back into the win column.
I’m not saying this team is Super Bowl-bound–they’re gonna have to get scrappy just to make the playoffs–but I also don’t think they’re bottom-tier. Let the coaches get the rushing attack going again, and Penix will get more comfortable.
After the Week 3 loss, Drake London said it best: “We have talent out there and we need to find a way to go out and showcase that.” Let’s hope they find that way soon. Be certain, though, that they won’t go down without a fight.