For the first time since 2015, the Atlanta Falcons were shut out on the road, and it couldn’t have come in uglier fashion. The 30-0 drubbing by the Carolina Panthers marked the second time this decade that Atlanta has left Bank of America Stadium with a goose egg, serving fans a brutal reminder of how much more progress this team needs.
After entering the weekend with a surplus of momentum, all of that confidence had completely evaporated by the time Sunday night rolled around. The Falcons entered Week 3 with too much confidence, and managed to severely underestimate their NFC South rivals. And while head coach Raheem Morris is taking the heat, he—like his players— didn't pull any punches when discussing the dismal performance.
"They outplayed us in every phase," Morris said. "They went out and they dominated the game right from the beginning. We couldn't get things going. Couldn't turn it around. Couldn't survive the moment. It was a very humbling game."
Raheem Morris needs to use this chip on his shoulder to save his job
To Morris' credit, there's nothing you can say after a loss like this that'll make it sting any less. Still, accountability only goes so far. Falcons fans are growing restless, and patience is wearing thin. One week, Atlanta looks like a perennial contender; the next, they’re getting blanked by a team that had yet to win a game.
The lack of consistency has been the biggest red flag, but this has probably been the lowest moment since Morris took over in 2024. Fans have seen a plethora of low moments with Kirk Cousins and Desmond Ridder, but your No. 8 overall pick playing like is incredibly worrisome.
Morris: Today, we hit an all-time low. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) September 21, 2025
The defense continued to look solid, but the offense is where the red flags are flying. The Dirty Birds attained over 300 total yards yet had zero points to show for it—while never even reaching the red zone. Additionally, Parker Romo took a massive step backwards following a dazzling debut and Penix threw his first two interceptions of 2025.
Penix was even benched for Kirk Cousins once the game was out of hand. The 25-year-old sits at 2-4 as a starter, and both victories came when the Falcons' defense held opponents to less than seven points. Maybe a quarterback change could jolt some energy into an offense in desperate need of it.
The focus in Atlanta now shifts to a return to Atlanta in Week 4, where the Morris and company will hope to avoid falling to 1-3. It's a chance for the Falcons to prove that this humiliation was an aberration, not a preview of another season without a return to the postseason.