The Atlanta Falcons fell to 1-2 last night after a loss to the defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs. Atlanta went into halftime with a 14-10 lead.
Unfortunately, the injuries and some self-inflicted wounds (both deserved and undeserved) were too much for the team to handle.
Kirk Cousins is back
The confidence from the second half of the Eagles game remained intact and the mental rustiness seems to have disappeared. Cousins was decisive on his throws, ran through his routines and ran the passing game at a different and more consistent pace than we’ve seen before. Although the team came up short tonight, it wasn’t because of Cousins.
Unfortunately, the team had to overcome the self-inflicted blemishes and injuries mentioned earlier. The offense did a great job of moving the ball again in the second half and it was encouraging to see Cousins stand in the pocket and continue to make shots despite the pressure and hard hits he faced.
Injuries took the wind out of the sails but did not sink the ship
The Falcons lost center Drew Dalman and right tackle Kaleb McGary in the second quarter, and the dynamic of the offense changed completely. The Falcons had protected Cousins well and moved the ball well against a talented Chiefs defense, but unfortunately the injuries were tough to overcome.
Atlanta was finally able to build some chemistry and move the ball again in the fourth quarter, although they only scored three points. The outside zone scheme couldn’t recover from losing two key linemen, and the Falcons lost the ball on fourth-and-2 attempts. The strong finish made me feel a little better, but hopefully the injuries are short-lived.
The Chiefs’ running game wears down a solid defense
The Falcons defense had a good first half; they only allowed 10 points and made some key stops. With the team’s offense getting less and less on the field, the Chiefs’ running game took its toll. In the second half, Kansas City was able to control the clock and run down the field against this defense, which becomes a troubling issue. The interior defensive line was not as impressive against the running game as initially hoped.
The Chiefs had movement throughout the night in their interior trio. Kentavious Street, Eddie Goldman and others have played in front of some of the young players on this roster, and it might be time to change things up. The defense still gave the offense a chance to win and made key plays in the second half, but they need to find a way to stop the run.
Officials were too involved
Complaining about the referees sucks, but after tonight it’s too hard to look away. I expect the league’s flagship team to get a few decisions in its favor; that’s part of it. In the first half of the game, both teams got away with a few. The second half was a different story.
With three minutes left, the Falcons are denied a pass interference call by the defense in the end zone. The broadcast was also polite enough to show a highlight video of Lorenzo Carter and Arnold Ebeketie being obviously hit in the face and facemask with their hands, respectively. Penalties are part of the game and Atlanta has earned its fair share, but you never want to feel like you’re waiting for the next bad call, and that’s exactly what happened tonight.
This team can compete with the best
The Falcons lost tonight, but they proved for the second week in a row that every game is within reach. Atlanta had to overcome major injuries, tough competition and poor refereeing tonight and almost pulled it off. In the grand scheme of things, this game doesn’t carry much weight, as both the division and the playoffs are still within reach. Atlanta needs to get McGary and Dalman back soon for this season to be successful.
Falcons fans have a real team this year. They may not be perfect, but they can beat anyone.
