ATL Standard

The Atlanta Falcons faced a significant setback on Sunday with a 34-14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. This defeat marked the first time in 2024 that the Falcons experienced what head coach Raheem Morris described as a "complete team loss." Throughout their previous games, various units within the team had stepped up to secure victories, but this was not the case against the Seahawks.

In earlier matches, specific performances stood out: Kirk Cousins and his offense delivered in a two-minute drill against the Philadelphia Eagles; special teams and defense made crucial plays against the New Orleans Saints; Cousins and the passing game excelled against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers; and Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier dominated with rushing yards against the Carolina Panthers. However, these individual efforts were absent during Sunday's game.

"You always look for somebody to pick you up in this team-effort game, and it didn't happen today," said Morris. The defense allowed over 200 passing yards in the first half alone, with D.K. Metcalf gaining 99 yards on four catches. A pivotal moment came just before halftime when Metcalf scored a touchdown after a six-play drive, extending Seattle's lead.

Jessie Bates III highlighted this moment as particularly frustrating: "I think that possession before halftime we were in great position, down three, but instead we gave up a touchdown."

Justin Simmons also expressed dissatisfaction with their defensive performance: "There were a lot of things that didn't go well," he said. "Just speaking defensively, we didn't play nearly good enough today."

On offense, despite Robinson's 103 rushing yards, turnovers plagued their efforts. Kirk Cousins fumbled early in the fourth quarter leading to a touchdown for Seattle and followed with two interceptions on subsequent drives.

Robinson acknowledged these struggles postgame: "We needed to execute earlier as an offense, and then the penalties definitely hurt us."

Special teams had their share of difficulties too, notably Younghoe Koo missing a field goal attempt early in the second quarter.

Reflecting on this collective shortfall, Morris stated: "We didn't play well as a unit across the board...we got to go to the lab and find a way next week." The Falcons are set to face off against Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week away from home. Bates emphasized that while it's not time for panic, changes are necessary if they hope to succeed further into their season.

"There's no panic button," Simmons added. "But if we want to be where we want to be, we have to fix that."