Ouch, that one hurt...
The Atlanta Falcons had no excuses not to win their Week 1 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They had the game in their grasp and couldn't find a way to make that one big play to seal the deal.
There were a few bright spots for the Dirty Birds, but the disappointments were more plentiful.
Winners and losers from the Falcons' Week 1 loss
Loser: Drake London, WR
It is fitting to start with the losers, and Drake London's lack of consistency leads it off.
London struggled early in the game, failing to make any kind of impact. Something just didn't seem right with him. He had a costly holding penalty and only hauled in eight of 15 targets.
It is clear that he was injured late in the game, which gives him a slight mulligan. The Dirty Birds cannot afford to lose him for any length of time.
Winner: Michael Penix Jr., QB
Michael Penix Jr. was the best quarterback on the field, no doubt about it. He outplayed Baker Mayfield by consistently delivering accurate passes and making gutsy plays.
The second-year QB went 27 for 41 for 298 yards and a passing touchdown. He also ran for 21 yards with a clutch fourth-quarter touchdown which Scott Hanson compared to Elphaba from Wicked.
While it hurts to lose the game, we can confidently say that the Dirty Birds have their franchise passer.
Loser: Zac Robinson, Offensive coordinator
Zac Robinson's playcalling was rocky in the season opener. He was never able to get his offense in a rhythm, and it took many heroic plays by Penix Jr. to help keep this game within reach.
A two-play sequence in the middle of the game sticks out like a sore thumb. He ran hurry-up on third-and-one, took a shot down the field, and then ran Bijan right into Vita Vea on fourth down. Overall, it was a way-too-predictable game plan by the second-year coordinator.
Winner: Divine Deablo, LB
Jeff Ulbrich has found a future superstar in Divine Deablo. The new Falcons linebacker made plays all over the field as he was used in every role possible, tying for the team lead in tackles.
Deablo represented almost all of the Falcons' pass rush. He put pressure on Mayfield by blitzing straight up the middle, while the linemen struggled to get off their blocks.
Loser: Defensive line
The hype around the Falcons' defensive line was quickly squashed in Week 1. They couldn't get any pressure on four-man rushes all game long.
Against a shuffled offensive line, it was extremely disappointing to see all of the pressure come from blitzes, rather than one-on-one wins. James Pearce Jr., Jalon Walker, Leonard Floyd, and all the interior guys failed the defense.
Winner: Jeff Ulbrich, Defensive coordinator
This might be surprising, but Jeff Ulbrich called a great game in his return. He had all of his players moving around pre-snap, which helped the Falcons hold an explosive Bucs offense to 260 yards (159 passing, 101 rushing) -- all without a pass rush.
While there was a breakdown on the final drive, his unit played well enough to win the game. It will be fun watching the active Ulbrich defense this season.
Loser: Special teams
It starts with Younghoe Koo; the once-reliable kicker had another tough game after his worst professional season. Between the field goal that barely snuck in after doinking off the upright, and the game-tying miss, it was an ugly showing for Koo.
However, the special teams struggles didn't stop there. The Falcons gave up some big returns, including an explosive punt return and a critical long kick return on the Bucs' game-winning drive.
The Falcons have a lot of issues to clean up before going on the road to take on the Vikings next Sunday.