Falcons See Blowout Loss as Potential Turning Point

The Atlanta Falcons (1-2) were shut out 30-0 by the Carolina Panthers (1-2) in a Week 3 NFC South showdown. Atlanta fell to 0-2 in the division in a lopsided fashion. 

Star running back Bijan Robinson had his third straight game with 100 or more yards from scrimmage. However, no one else on the offensive side of the ball could get it going. 

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had the worst game of his young career, tossing a pair of interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and completing just 50% of his pass attempts for 172 yards. However, Robinson believes a loss of these proportions could be a sort of wake-up call for the Atlanta Falcons.

“I didn’t want to lose by 30 today. Obviously, nobody did. But it happened,” Robinson said. “I believe this can either break a team or make a team. For us, this needs to make this team. We need to come in tomorrow, we need to watch this game, and we all need to feel the same hurt the same way.”

The key players on offense put much of the blame on themselves for the loss. Penix said the defense played better than the numbers would suggest. 

“I feel like the defense played amazing, and we put them in a lot of bad spots,” Penix said after the game. 

The defense held Bryce Young to just 121 yards through the air and had four tackles for losses, three quarterback hits, two passes defended and a sack. The Panthers' offense as a whole was limited to 224 total yards and only converted on third down on three of 11 attempts. 

Turnovers, whether by the Panthers' defense or on downs, gave them good spots to run up the score. 

Jake Matthews said after the Falcons' Week 1 loss that it’s a long season, and that’s still the case after Week 3. The Falcons were 1-2 at this point in the season last year, before winning three straight games. 

The Falcons will look to bounce back against the Commanders (2-1) at home next week. A win wouldn’t erase Week 3’s blowout, or even help Atlanta’s record against the NFC South, but it could provide a nice bounce-back game against a team that was in the NFC Championship Game last season. 

A statement win to get back on track could go a long way for this team.

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