How the Atlanta Falcons could be the reason for Chiefs struggles

Prior to the start of the 2021 NFL season, if you were to tell anyone that the Atlanta Falcons would have as many wins and a better winning percentage than the Kansas City Chiefs through seven weeks, they undoubtedly would have called you crazy.

Yet here we are through seven weeks of the season and the Falcons have the same amount of wins (three to be exact), while also having one less loss than Kansas City.

While the Chiefs have played teams like the Bills, Ravens, Chargers, and Titans, while the only team Atlanta has played that is decent is the Buccaneers, it is still shocking nonetheless.

The Falcons could actually be the reason the Chiefs have been struggling

Think back to the end of last season, when the 4-9 Atlanta Falcons travelled to Kansas City to play the 13-1 Chiefs. No one gave Atlanta a chance in that game, no one, but somehow they were within a field goal of tying the game with seconds left.

Not to mention, on the Chiefs game-winning drive, A.J. Terrell had the game-sealing interception in the endzone go through his hands, if he had caught that, it would have all but given the Chiefs only their second loss on the year.

Since that game, it seems as if teams have better understood how to slow down the Chiefs offense.

Since the game where the Falcons barely missed a giant upset over the Chiefs, Kansas City averages six fewer points than they did prior to the game. That is definitely something that warrants attention.

When Atlanta held Patrick Mahomes to 17 points in that game, it was the least amount of points the Chiefs had scored with Mahomes as the starting quarterback. For it to come from the Falcons defense was simply surprising.

Since the conclusion of that near-upset, there have been two instances where he has scored even fewer amount of points, the first one came in the Super Bowl against the Buccaneers where they held the Chiefs’ offense to nine points.

The least points they have scored in the Mahomes era, came this past Sunday where they were only able to score three points against Tennessee—simply stunning based off of what we have seen from them in the past few years.

So, the Atlanta Falcons and former interim head coach, Raheem Morris, could be behind the reason Kansas City is struggling so mightily this year, and really since that game in December of last year.

If the Super Bowl somehow comes down to the Chiefs and Rams, give the advantage to the Rams since their defensive coordinator is Raheem Morris.