Falcons suffer an ugly loss to the Seahawks.
The Atlanta Falcons had a prime opportunity in NFL Week 7 to solidify themselves as one of the elite teams in the league. Instead, they delivered arguably their worst performance of the season, losing to the Seattle Seahawks 34-17. This marked Atlanta’s second consecutive lopsided game after a stretch of five straight one-score contests, though the previous week’s victory over the Carolina Panthers had gone in their favor.
What's particularly concerning about the Falcons' (4-3) loss is that all three of their defeats this season have come at home, leaving fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium with much to be desired. The timing couldn't have been worse, as Atlanta was riding a three-game winning streak and had hopes of strengthening their position in the NFC, especially within the South division.
Before the Falcons head into their Week 8 matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road, it's clear there are issues to address and plenty of blame to go around for this beat down of a loss, starting with Cousins.
Kirk Cousins has worst performance of season
Kirk Cousins' return from his Achilles injury was bound to come with some rust, and it was evident in the Falcons' loss to the Seahawks (4-3) on Sunday. Cousins struggled with accuracy throughout the day, and while Seattle's pass rush certainly contributed, sacking him three times, there were several moments where his throws were simply off target.
One key example came on a third-down play when Cousins missed a wide-open Ray-Ray McCloud, sailing the ball over his head. A clean pass likely would have set the Falcons up in scoring position, a missed opportunity in a game where they managed only 14 points. But it got worse.
Three of Atlanta's last four drives ended with Cousins turnovers, sealing their fate against the Seahawks. With six minutes left and down 34-14, Cousins threw his second interception of the game, a pass intended for Kyle Pitts that got away from him. But the game arguably felt out of reach much earlier when Cousins fumbled the ball after being hit, leading to a Seattle recovery that resulted in a touchdown to go up 31-14.
“Tough day at the office, certainly,” Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins said after the game, per ESPN. “Pro football has a way of testing you like that. We talk about having resolve, having grit, responding, getting back to work tomorrow, being candid about how each one of us has to do certain things better.
“I’ve got to play better and just kind of looking at how do we play better? How do we improve and put together a good week of practice? And then try to play your best football you can play next Sunday.”
Drake London has ball go through hands, leading to interception
The first of Kirk Cousins' interceptions wasn't on him. After the Seahawks extended their lead to 17 points following a fumble recovery for a touchdown, Cousins had the Falcons marching back down the field to Seattle's 37-yard line. But what looked like a well-placed pass to Drake London went through his hands and was intercepted by a Seahawks defender, ending another promising drive and effectively halting any chance for Atlanta to cut the deficit.
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It's tough to criticize London's performance this season, as he's emerged as a reliable WR1. However, in a game where the Falcons desperately needed to make a play, this was one that had to be made. Unfortunately, London couldn’t execute in a key moment.
Jimmy Lake's defense still can't produce a consistent pass rush
The Falcons' pass rush woes have been a persistent issue for years, not just something that cropped up this season or in their Week 7 loss to the Seahawks. However, the struggle was glaringly evident against Seattle.
Atlanta’s defenders continuously failed to get to Geno Smith, who proved to be more elusive than expected. They simply seemed to whiff all day against the veteran. Which was overly concerning considering the Seahawks were a team that had allowed 19 sacks prior to this game. But they faced little resistance from the Falcons' defense, who managed just one sack and three tackles for a loss all game.
Jimmy Lake's defense is clearly struggling in this area, and without acquiring a pass rusher via trade, this problem looks to persist for the remainder of the season without a viable solution in sight.
