5 instant takeaways from Falcons' season-ending Week 10 loss to the Chiefs

Entering Week 10, even the Atlanta Falcons know this won't be the year the playoff drought ends. The Falcons have lost four of their last five, have looked like a complete mess across that span, and even had a mini-sale at the trade deadline. They're punting on the season without admitting it's a lost year.

And in Week 10 against the Kansas City Chiefs, things didn't look any better. The Falcons were about to start the toughest stretch of their schedule, and they fell flat. They lost 35-13 as despite the late spark, it was too little too late, because the offense looked like a mess for most of the afternoon.

Even without Kenneth Walker, Patrick Mahomes lit up this defense and don't even get me started on the offense. Let's not waste any more time and dive into the instant reactions from a loss that ultimately could turn out to be season-ending since they aren't in a position to compete anymore.

What stood out from the Atlanta Falcons' loss to the Chiefs in Week 10?

The play-calling from Tommy Rees is becoming a major problem

Tommy Rees moved from the booth to the sideline to call plays in Week 10, but it's safe to say that didn't work. The offense was just as lethargic and lifeless as it's been all season, as Bijan Robinson's usage was inconsistent and any glimmer of hope this offense provided was called back by a penalty.

The Dirty Birds went three-and-out on their first four drives of the game, as Rees again failed to do anything to elevate Michael Penix Jr. despite trying to win with his arm. After the hot start where they averaged 31 PPG in his first five starts, they're averaging just 10 PPG across the last three weeks.

If I had a nickel for every time he dialed up a quick screen that went nowhere, I'd be as rich as Arthur Blank. He has a creative playbook, but lacks the situational awareness and experience to get the most out of his guys--so we may be in the market for another new play-caller here in the near future.

They continue to get into their own way, and the woes on offense look incurable--which is infurating given all of the talent they have. With the bye week on tap, we can only hope Kevin Stefanski will strip him of play-calling duties, but that sounds like wishful thinking since Rees is basically his golden boy.

Jawaan Taylor is right back into his midseason form

For as crazy as it sounds, the Falcons have one of the worst tackle duos in the NFL in Jake Matthews and Jawaan Taylor. Matthews has regressed majorly from the reliable ironman he was in his prime, but Taylor, who has been protecting Penix's blindside, has completely derailed after a strong start.

Of the nine penalties Atlanta accrued, the two starting tackles combined for five of them--while Taylor accrued three of his own (1/3 of the penalty count). We knew he was penalty-prone during his time with the Chiefs, but I was hoping he'd be able to hold up for a change against his former team.

Things got so bad for him that J.J. Watt added to the dogpile by humiliating him on the broadcast. He was able to predict whether the Falcons were running or throwing the football based off his stance, so he was essentially tipping plays. As if it wasn't clear enough, this OL will look different in 2027.

A.J. Terrell doesn't have it anymore

Last weekend, we saw A.J. Terrell get lit up by Ja'Marr Chase and the Benagls and it was chalked up to being a mirage. One of the best wide receivers in the NFL who gave him a rough day in college as well. But things are going awry much quicker than anyone could've expected for Atlanta's supposed CB1.

In the third quarter, Patrick Mahomes connected with rookie Cyrus Allen on a 39-yard touchdown on a play where Terrell was in a 1-on-1 matchup with him. But Allen ran a stutter and go route that had him looking foolish and all but confirmed the A.J. we saw last weekend is just who he is at this point.

Getting torched by one of the best in the business is one thing. But by a fifth-round rookie? That's harder to defend. His regression in coverage just keeps getting worse and worse, and it's clear that the injuries have dealt with have stripped us of the guy he used to be--and they're still on the hook for a lot of his contract.

Harold Perkins Jr. stepped up when the Falcons needed him most

Atlanta was again without Divine Deablo in Week 10, as he was inactive due to the forearm injury that he's been dealing with all season. That meant it was another week of Kendal Daniels wearing the green dot while Daniels started next to fellow rookie Harold Perkins Jr. once again in Week 10.

Just like he has all season, it's safe to say Perkins delivered. The sixth-round draft pick out of LSU delivered a big hit in kickoff coverage and had some nice tackles on Emmett Johnson. So in a game where there was little to be excited about, he deserves to start even once Deablo returns. He and Daniels are making him look real expendable.

This new regime has a lot of convincing to do

With the Falcons now at 3-7, the season is all but over, and patience is already wearing thin. The offensive struggles ruined what was a quality day for the defense and eventually broke them, penalties were again an issue, and for a team that wants to win in the trenches, the O-Line sucks.

Kevin Stefanski is going to deliver the same excuse that "we've just got to be better" and the fanbase is starting to lose faith that he's the guy. And it's hard to blame them since the rest of the staff has been absolutely atrocious--and in turn, the vision for this new era has started to come into question.

2026 was always supposed to be a transition year for the new regime. The job was to evaluate if Michael Penix Jr. can be a franchise QB (he can't), allow Stefanski to draft his handpicked QB for the first time ever, and lay the foundation for a rebuild since this team has a lot of controllable assets.

Ian Cunningham has done a lot of good things as Atlanta's GM. We have over $125 million in cap space and four top-100 picks, so the focus was always going to be on competing in 2027 when this new regime could invest more resources into the roster compared to this group of Fontenot rejects.

The issue with that is that Falcons fans are tired of waiting or being told to be patient, but it's all we can really do--and this staff has a lot of work to do to get everyone back on board. But evidently, they are going to get a long leash to turn this around--even though we're sitting at 3-7 entering the bye.

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