It took till Week 3 of the NFL Season for the Atlanta Falcons to show their fans the worst possible version of what this team could produce in the 2025 season.
Coming off an impressive performance on Sunday Night Football in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings, the Falcons showed immense potential for what this season could bring for this young Atlanta team. That promise has quickly faded away with Sunday's 30-0 loss to the rival Carolina Panthers, who were winless entering the day.
It'd be one thing if the Falcons struggled in only one aspect of the game; however, that wasn't the case on Sunday, as there wasn't a reason to be proud about anything concerning their performance.
Falcons Struggled Across the Board in Week 3 Loss to Panthers
The Michael Penix Jr.-led offense looked bleak this afternoon in Charlotte, turning the ball over three times, including two interceptions by Penix. Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson's unit did not even make it into the red zone at all during the shutout road loss.
When the offense did manage to get into a position to put points on the board, kicker Parker Romo managed to miss two field goals, both in the first quarter. This will likely lead fans to start second-guessing a decision that seemed like a sure thing this past week when the Falcons parted ways with veteran K Younghoe Koo following his own kicking struggles to begin September.
Head coach Raheem Morris told the press regarding the missed field goals by Romo that the Falcons "can’t have those moments.” When questioned about Penix's play, Morris said, “We did not play well on any phase and he did not play well as well, and we did not play well around him.”
Despite the offense out-gaining the Panthers in total yards, with the Falcons putting up 333 compared to their NFC South rival's 224, turnovers and missed opportunities ended up keeping the Falcons off the board. It didn't help that the defense struggled near the end zone, surrendering two rushing touchdowns within the five-yard line.
From the top to the bottom of the lineup, the Falcons need to be better in every aspect of the game if they don't want the losses to pile up. Otherwise, it's going to be a long season in Atlanta.
The Falcons will be looking to bounce back from this loss at home against the Washington Commanders in Week 4 on Sunday, Sept. 28.