ATLANTA — There are franchises that have earned the benefit of the doubt, franchises whose past success gives them the leeway to make big swings, try new strategies and take bold new paths.

And then there are the Atlanta Falcons, where fan loyalty these days only lasts as long as the Falcons’ last series.

Atlanta made the biggest swing of any NFL team this past offseason, signing star quarterback Kirk Cousins, then spending a first-round draft pick on another quarterback and completely overhauling its philosophy under the leadership of new head coach Raheem Morris. Confidence was high, especially after a harmonious training camp.

And then the regular season began.

Atlanta lost its season opener to Pittsburgh 18-10 on Sunday in a manner that once again has fans throwing up their hands in resignation. Cousins ​​threw two ugly interceptions, struggled to move the ball and was virtually on the defensive in the second half of a game that was entirely winnable until the final minutes.

“I was disappointed, really disappointed,” Cousins ​​said after the game as Falcons owner Arthur Blank looked on. “You always go out there expecting to play at a high level and we didn’t play at our level today.”

After a training camp in which Cousins ​​had happily embraced the role of team father, Cousins ​​came into the game against Pittsburgh like a father at the end of a disastrous family vacation – overwhelmed, at his limit, making the wrong decisions over and over again. Cousins ​​finished the day with just 155 yards passing and 16 successful passes, two interceptions and one touchdown. And like the father at the end of the vacation, there is no rest ahead for him, just a return to work.

“We have to wash that away and understand that it’s a loss,” Cousins ​​said. “You have to look forward and look at each game as a separate thing. That’s what you really do after a win or a loss. That’s what you have to think about.”

“We know he has to play better, there’s no doubt about that,” Morris said after the game. “He’s been in the league a long time and I’m looking forward to him recovering from a tough game and a tough performance. I’m not too worried about that.”

For Cousins ​​and the Falcons, the frustrating aspect of a game like Sunday’s is that there are no easily correctable mistakes or deficiencies. The game plan was solid enough; the Falcons’ lone touchdown drive — in which Cousins ​​threw 7 of 7 passes for 82 yards — was proof of that. But beyond that drive, the execution was lacking, and that’s something that can only be corrected at game speed, in game situations, with game intensity — not on the practice field.

“You have to avoid critical mistakes,” Cousins ​​said. “We always say that, but we have to do it. I think if we do that and keep ourselves manageable from distance, we showed today that we can be a productive offense. But if we hurt ourselves, it’s hard to overcome that.”

Pittsburgh wasn’t necessarily a guaranteed win; the pregame line was just a field goal. But it was a humiliating loss, both because Cousins ​​didn’t deliver as he should have and because the thousands of towel-waving Steelers fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium transformed the Pittsburgh South. Losing is bad enough; losing when TJ Watt is pleading be Fans rise in your Buildings? Yes, that’s not good at all.

“I’ve seen so much and experienced so much that there are bad days, but you have to look at them all as learning experiences and be able to go out and learn from them,” Morris said. “And we have to go out and find a way to fix this quickly and, you know, urgently.”

That urgency comes from the fact that this was the “easy” game of the opening trio of the season. Next week, Atlanta heads to Philadelphia for Monday Night Football, and there we’ll see if something positive comes out of two negatives. Atlanta has a 15-28 record on Monday nights; Cousins ​​has a 3-10 record. Either they’re going to cancel each other out, or the Falcons are going to somehow lose twice in one night.

Next up, the Kansas City Chiefs come to Atlanta, and this could be the second home game in a row where Atlanta’s fans are drowned out by their opponents – in this case, the Chiefs’ followers and the local Swifties.

Atlanta’s margin for error was already slim. Now it’s gone. An 0-3 start and calls for change – like bringing in rookie Michael Penix Jr. for a trial period – will be louder.

The truth is, it’s a long season, and the Falcons are playing in the NFC South, where the Panthers have somehow already managed to nearly eliminate themselves. But it’s also a season where “decent” isn’t going to be nearly good enough. If you’re trying to remake your entire franchise, you better start shedding your old “I can’t do it” image.