The Atlanta Falcons entered Week 11 having lost four straight games, but their fifth consecutive loss might have been the most gut-wrenching yet. The Dirty Birds led by as much as 14 points and led by five with just under three minutes to play, but once again, the loss was a story of missed opportunity.
The 30-27 loss to the Carolina Panthers saw Atlanta fall to 3-7 while effectively ending all playoff hopes this team had. And to make matters even worse, the Falcons saw both Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London exit the game and never return due to injury.
Raheem Morris has been under fire for quite some time now, so it's fairly obvious that he's to blame for the defeat. Even Zac Robinson actually did a solid job calling plays for the offense, but it's becoming clear who is the person truly holding back one of the NFL's most talented rosters.
Falcons' Week 11 loss to Panthers highlights Raheem Morris' ineptitude once again
Penix was firing on all cylinders before he injured his knee in the third quarter, but the offense sputtered once Kirk Cousins replaced him. Atlanta scored three first-half touchdowns, but their red zone woes saw them squander prime field position on multiple occasions with the game on the line.
The second-year quarterback completed 13-of-16 passes for 175 yards before exiting, but Cousins completed just six passes for a 42.8% completion rate in his limited action in Week 11. And in limited action, the four-time Pro Bowler has made it clear that signing him to a long-term contract was a grave mistake.
As for the run game, the Falcons' offense shined because Bijan Robinson enjoyed his first 100-yard rushing game since Week 6. The 23-year-old has been stifled by good defenses as of late, but also reached the end zone twice as Atlanta jumped out to an early lead in their return home.
However, where the Dirty Birds truly lost this game was on defense. For the second consecutive game, Jeff Ulbrich's defense surrendered over 450 total yards, but it wasn't the run defense this time. They managed to keep Rico Dowdle in check, but the Carolina pass game was a different story.
With both Mike Hughes and Dee Alford sidelined, Ulbrich's unit turned to Natrone Brooks and UDFA Cobee Bryant to play meaningful snaps—and that went about as horribly as you'd expect it to. Bryce Young took advantage, throwing for a season-high 448 yards and three scores in their comeback win.
Not only did the former No. 1 pick torch the defense, he connected with first-round rookie Tetairoa McMillan eight times for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Once again, this team failed to adjust while losing the most winnable game they've seen since before the Bills upset back in Week 6.
It's clear that Morris' complacency and delusion are holding back a playoff-caliber roster, so if things continue, it could stunt Penix's development even further. So if Arthur Blank chooses not to address the problems that have continued to plague this dysfunctional team, the unrest will only continue.