The Atlanta Falcons suffered a brutal 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday afternoon. The game was a huge step back for the Falcons offensively following a 22-6 win over the Minnesota Vikings last Sunday night. With the loss, the Falcons now fall to 1-2 on the season. Here are three takeaways from the Falcons' 30-0 loss to the Panthers.
Falcons offense continues to struggle
The Falcons' offense once again struggled in Sunday's loss to the Panthers. Following last week's red zone struggles against the Vikings, the Falcons were looking to improve on offense, and they once again fell flat.
Entering this season with quarterback Michael Penix Jr and talented offensive weapons including Bijan Robinson, Darnell Mooney, and Drake London, the Falcons were aiming to be one of the best offenses in the NFC.
If the Falcons are hoping to dethrone the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as NFC South champions this season, their offense needs to be more consistent moving forward. The schedule doesn't get any easier as the next three games will see the Falcons will play the Washington Commanders and the Buffalo Bills at home, and the San Francisco 49ers on the road.
Is Michael Penix's performance a concern moving forward?
Michael Penix Jr's performance in the loss to the Panthers raised concerns among Falcons fans about whether the young quarterback should be benched for Kirk Cousins for a period of time. Penix threw for 172 yards and two interceptions on 18-of-36 passing in the loss.
It was not the performance that Penix was hoping for in his second road start of the 2025 season. Cousins took over at quarterback in the game, where he finished with 29 yards passing. Despite Penix's performance, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris confirmed after the game that Cousins won't have the opportunity to compete for the starting quarterback role this week.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Kirk Cousins will not have the opportunity to compete for the starting quarterback role this week. Gave a solid "No."
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) September 21, 2025
While the Falcons are confident in their future with Michael Penix as their starting quarterback, Sunday was not a bright moment in the young quarterback's NFL career.
Coaching issues highlight loss
Following the loss to the Panthers on Sunday, Falcons fans blamed the coaching staff the most for the shutout. Communication issues and offensive play-calling raised concerns about how effective the Falcons can be on offense moving forward.
To solve those issues, the Falcons made several changes to be more effective offensively in their week 4 matchup against the Washington Commanders. Atlanta is hoping that these changes can have a positive impact on its offense moving forward.