The Atlanta Falcons just suffered their most brutal defeat of the Kevin Stefanski era. In their home opener against the Carolina Panthers, things couldn't possibly go any worse. For 60 minutes straight, the Falcons were straight up out-played, which led to them fall to 0-2 for the first time since 2020.
If you thought the loss in Pittsburgh last weekend was bad, at least the Falcons looked competitive. Against the Panthers (in front of the home fans), they never did. They lost 34-3 and it never felt close. The defense looked out-matched, the offense was never given a chance due to the QB issues, and the Kevin Stefanski era has been a complete mess to this point.
A lot stood out in the 31-point loss, and frankly, not many of the takeaways were good. So let's just rip the band-aid right off and dive into it, evaluating some of the many issues this team has to clean up as they embark on a short week against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football.
The biggest takeaways from the Atlanta Falcons' Week 2 loss vs. Panthers
Cooper Rush might be the worst quarterback on an NFL roster
Kevin Stefanski can not be serious in thinking that Cooper Rush gives the Falcons the best chance to win until Michael Penix Jr. returns. This is either gross incompetence or tanking, and considering it's only Week 2, its too early for the latter. We need Penix or Tua to return, STAT.
On Atlanta's first play from scrimmage, he coughed up the football, which set up a Panthers touchdown, he threw two interceptions (and nearly threw a third). For an NFL journeyman, Rush isn't decisive in the slightest and too often was throwing behind his intended receivers on simple routes.
He's healthier than he was last week and had more first-team practice reps, so what's the excuse this time? He was so bad that Jack Strand replaced him as the starter in the third quarter, and he didn't look any better. Yet he still deserved to start this entire game.
I remember watching Tim Boyle and asking how in the world this guy is on an NFL roster, and now I question what dirt Cooper Rush has on Kevin Stefanski to remain on this team.
Bryce Young is the ultimate Falcons killer
Speaking of quarterbacks, there is no passer in the NFL that gives the Atlanta Falcons' defense nightmares the way Bryce Young does. The former No. 1 overall pick entered Sunday with a 4-1 record against Atlanta in his career-including four straight wins--but that streak continued to five.
Young completed 23 of 36 pass attempts for 287 yards and three touchdown against a Falcons' secondary that had no answers for their passing game. Tetairoa McMillan went over 100 yards and Jalen Coker and Xavier Legette also had their fair share of big gains. It was a rough day for the DBs.
Bryce Young is now 5-1 against the Falcons in his career, and once again, it was another dominant one.
Another injury for A.J. Terrell
After injuring his shoulder in the Week 1 loss against the Steelers, star cornerback A.J. Terrell's status was up in the air for Week 2. He was ruled active, but it didn't take long for him to get hurt again, as he suffered a groin injury in the first quarter, and he never returned.
It seems like placing the All-Pro CB on IR is a realistic possibility, and if that's the case, Mike Hughes and C.J. Henderson will be the starting cornerback duo on the outside. So even though he's started to regress, this secondary is better with him on the field than on the shelf.
And unfortunately, the injury woes didn't end there. Here are the other Falcons who got hurt in this game:
- DL Brandon Dorlus (hand)
- EDGE Samson Ebukam (hamstring)
- OT Jawaan Taylor (ribs)
Yeah. For as bad as the game was, the injury bug certainly didn't help.
Za'Darius Smith looks like a man reborn
There has not been a lot to like about the Stefanski era to date, but one of his best moves was signing Za'Darius Smith to bolster a depleted pass-rush. Following his two-sack effort last weekend, the veteran was again one of the lone bright spots not just for the defense, but for the entire roster. And not only has he been a leader odd the field, he's been a role model on it as aell.
Smith recorded five pressures, shared a half-sack with Cameron Thomas, and logged a TFL, QB hit, and a pass breakup. He was all over this the field for this defensive line, and once James Pearce Jr. returns from his suspension, this pass-rush will have a dangerous duo defenses should fear.
It is going to be a long, long season in Atlanta
The quarterback woes have defined the first two weeks of the Atlanta Falcons' season, and it seems like a bad omen for what's to come. Penix's absence has seen expectations rise for him once he returns because of how bad the QB play has been--and we have no clue what's happening with Tua.
The Falcons are an absolute mess right now, and it's not a coaching issue. This team has too much talent to be bogged down by QB issues--and while injuries happen, this isn't that. Stefanski should've brought someone like Dillon Gabriel in rather than roll the dice with Rush and Strand amid the injuries.
But nope, no common sense. This team looks destined to be picking inside the top five of the 2027 NFL Draft, and it's a waste of one of the most talented rosters in the NFL. We should be grateful that Michael Penix Jr. is returning soon, because if he doesn't, this team is only going to keep losing.
We may as well get our NFL Draft prep in now because the QB play has placed this team in a situation where the playoffs don't feel possible. Atlanta has three straight primetime games coming up, starting with a short week on TNF at Lambeau Field that's only going to make the Falcons look more discombobulated. They better get it right, and fast.
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