A common belief is that there is no such thing as a “good loss” in the NFL, but the Atlanta Falcons might have just debunked that myth. In the team’s 23-20 defeat in Week 1, Atlanta found themselves on the doorstep but could not finish. Michael Penix Jr threw for nearly 300 yards, rookies James Pearce Jr and Xavier Watts flashed superstar potential, and Bijan Robinson stayed productive despite it being a quiet day on the ground.
After all, the team was one Younghoe Koo make away from forcing overtime—and potentially starting off 2025 1-0. And that was something NFL Spin Zone’s Lou Scataglia took into account when ranking the Dirty Birds 17th in his post-Week 1 power rankings.
“There is such thing as a good loss, and I think the Atlanta Falcons had one of those in Week 1,” Scataglia wrote. “Sure, the special teams blunders weren’t ideal, but the Falcons offense did do enough in this game, and Michael Penix Jr is still quite young in the NFL, so by the time the end of the season rolls around, we could be having some different conversations about this team.”
Even in defeat, the Falcons are giving fans a reason to believe
Atlanta might be 0-1, but the pieces are in place for a bright future. Penix Jr’s poise under pressure, even in just his fourth career start, is enough reason for optimism. With Darnell Mooney inactive, Todd Bowles’ defense keyed in on Drake London and it was clear the Falcons’ offense missed their other vertical threat.
London still amassed a team-high eight receptions for 55 yards, but would have been poised for more if Tampa Bay wasn’t doubling him all afternoon. It wasn’t his best performance, but after Raheem Morris said the star wideout will play in Week 2, all doubts were firmly put to rest.
And one of the most promising twists from Week 1 was seeing Kyle Pitts be utilized more favorably than ever before. Penix applauded the fifth-year tight end all offseason, and it’s clear their rapport has only scratched the surface of its potential. Fans should be excited to see the former top-five pick be utilized like a featured weapon rather than a decoy in his contract year.
The Falcons also outgained the Buccaneers by nearly 100 yards, and Baker Mayfield was held to just 167 passing yards, which is a fantastic sign. The former Heisman Trophy winner threw for a career-high 4,500 yards in 2024, so it’s a clear sign of defensive improvement for Jeff Ulbrich’s young unit.
Mike Hughes struggled containing Emeka Egbuka in his NFL debut, but A.J. Terrell locked up Mike Evans while Watts came inches away from picking off Mayfield twice. Improvement is still needed for the pass rush and run game, but there are a lot of positive signs from a close Week 1 defeat.
Like Scataglia said, this was a good loss, and the returns suggest it looks like the Falcons are closer to turning the corner than most realize.