DENVER — The Falcons got their "butts kicked" Sunday.
And those aren't my words. They are the words of head coach Raheem Morris.
"(The Broncos) absolutely went out there and beat us with their effort and their physicality," Morris said.
"… The whole game was about physicality and effort, and they out-physical'd us. They out-effort'd us. They absolutely won that game."
Morris words are true. In every way that matters, the Falcons were beat pretty significantly by the Denver Broncos.
The Falcons were beat offensively, unable to score a touchdown for the second time in 2024. Quarterback Kirk Cousins hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in back-to-back games for the first time in his career as a starter. And when it comes to opportunities in the red area, the Falcons have only made it there four times in two games. They've scored once in those scenarios. Points are at a premium right now, and for an offense with the Falcons' potential, a premium on points doesn't feel quite right.
The Falcons were beat defensively, unable to stop Bo Nix from notching his best professional performance to date. His stat line, alone, told the story: 28-of-33 through the air with 307 passing yards and four touchdowns. Nix connected with 10 different receivers Sunday, half of those receivers accumulated at least 20 yards receiving.
It's the first time this year the Falcons have lost two games in a row. It's the first time since September 2023 the Falcons were completely held out of the end zone in a game. It's the first time the Falcons have to truly look themselves in the mirror and fix issues that have continually plagued them. Because that's the thing: The same issues persist with this team. And after notching their second loss in as many weeks, the Falcons can't chalk it up to a bad day at the office. Issues are lingering, and the only way for them to be the team they want to be, and win the games they need to win, is to halt what's haunting them.
Offensively, the Falcons are not finishing drives. Red-zone penalties continue to choke the life out of the offense. It did so again on the Falcons' very first drive of the game, a promising one that stalled and shuttered after a pair of penalties. They had to settle for a field goal, their first of two in the loss.
Despite ranking among the very best in the league in offensive three-and-out rate, the Falcons have struggled lately to stay on the field after a third down. Sunday was no different. Atlanta was 4-of-13 on third down.
Defensively, the Falcons are not affecting the passer consistently. Nix completed pass after pass with ease en route to his career day. Nix was hurried only three times and not a single pass rusher recorded multiple pressures on Sunday.
As an offense, the Broncos amassed 400 yards of total offense, averaging 6.7 yards per play. They were a perfect 4-of-4 in the red zone. The secondary has been a strong suit of this defensive unit. And when pass rush wasn't effective, the back end was. With significant injuries to key starters and depth pieces this week, though, the defense couldn't rely on the secondary to come up with stops as strongly as it had previously. And thus, Nix's stat line happened.
Entering into their bye week having won two of their last five games, the Falcons have to ask themselves the hard questions. As Cousins said postgame, the answers they find to those questions will be what matters.
"The challenge is in front of us," Cousins said, "and we need to answer the call."
In the locker room postgame, words were few and platitudes were dismal. Clark Phillips III said the Falcons have to have an all-hands-on-deck approach since it's everyone who shoulders the burden of a loss. Nate Landman said the Falcons have to win the bye week, they have to face themselves head on. In summation, Grady Jarrett said, "get back to work."
But there was something Darnell Mooney said that stuck out.
"We have to understand what a reset is," he said.
It's one thing to ask questions. It's another thing to find answers. It's something else entirely, though, to find the right answers—ones that manifest as physical changes in play, scheme and productivity.
Players and coaches will tell you: It's never as bad or as good as it seems. That's how Morris sees it, having been asked postgame whether or not his confidence in this team changes after the last two losses. He said, "No, absolutely not."
"This one game won't define us," he added.
But reoccurring issues can define a team when they are strung together too often; when those issues become the difference in a win or loss as they have against the Seahawks, Saints and Broncos. The Falcons have some reoccurring issues they need to address.
Can the Falcons fix their pass rush problem? What about their hot-and-cold offensive nature? How can they begin winning the turnover battle? Because right now, they're not.
It's not a reset if these problems persist. It's not a reset if the team continues to be plagued by faults and stops. This is a good team, but even good teams need a reset. If they want a run at the postseason, the Falcons have to be that team. They have to reset.
