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The Atlanta Falcons entered Week 11 looking to rebound from a disappointing loss to their division rival, the New Orleans Saints. Unfortunately, any hopes of getting back on track were dashed in a lopsided 38-6 loss to the Denver Broncos, marking the worst performance of the Raheem Morris era.
The Falcons (6-5) delivered a dismal showing on both sides of the ball. Atlanta, which had been competitive in most games this season, had its last similarly poor outing in a Week 3 home loss to the Seattle Seahawks, 34-14. Against the Broncos (6-5), the Falcons not only surrendered a season-high in points but also managed a season-low in scoring.
Just a couple of weeks ago, Atlanta was riding high with back-to-back wins over the Buccaneers and Cowboys, looking like a legitimate playoff contender. Now, those promising performances feel like a distant memory as the team finds itself teetering on the edge of a .500 record.
The good news for the Falcons is that they head into their bye week, offering a chance to regroup, heal up, and prepare for a critical Week 13 home matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. But before looking ahead, it’s time to look at who shoulders the blame for this disastrous performance.
Falcons defense was a complete disaster against the Broncos
Let’s address the obvious first. There wasn’t much good to take away from the Falcons’ Week 11 performance, but the defense is where the blame starts. Granted, it’s important to acknowledge that Atlanta entered the game severely depleted, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
The Falcons had a season-high eight players ruled out on the final injury report on Friday, including key defenders like cornerbacks Dee Alford, Mike Hughes, and Antonio Hamilton Sr., as well as linebacker JD Bertrand. This added to the absence of Troy Andersen, who has been sidelined for weeks.
From the outset, it was a rough day for Atlanta’s defense. The Broncos opened with a nine-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, setting the tone for what would become a career day for Denver quarterback Bo Nix. Nix torched the Falcons, completing 28 of 33 passes for 307 yards and four touchdowns, without throwing a single interception. Atlanta’s pass rush, which has been a abysmal all season, managed just one sack, leaving Nix plenty of time to carve up the secondary. Denver scored on six of their nine possessions, including three drives of 59 yards or more, and punted only three times.
The lack of a pass rush is a glaring concern for Atlanta. With just 10 sacks on the season, the Falcons rank dead last in the league in that category. Injuries certainly haven’t helped, but the inability to generate pressure has been a long-standing issue, predating Morris’ tenure. Poor coverage has compounded the problem, and allowing Nix to have a career day only adds to the mounting concerns. Unfortunately, this isn’t new for Atlanta; just last season, they allowed Titans' quarterback Will Levis to achieve a similar breakout performance. The defensive struggles, both old and new, need urgent attention.
The @Broncos LITERALLY carry Javonte Williams into the end zone 😂😂
📺: #ATLvsDEN on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/6TMoZdhiwl— NFL (@NFL) November 17, 2024
Kirk Cousins has second straight game with no touchdown passes
With the defense being unable to stop the Broncos offensively, the Falcons offense need to have answers of their own from drive to drive. That never happened. Coming in, the Falcons were expected to face one of the tougher defenses in the league, and that's exactly what they got.
The best that Atlanta could muster all day was six points off two Younghoe Koo field goals who had a much better performance this week than last. But in a game like this one, Kirk Cousins and the offense needed to find the end zone and not settle for field goals. However, for the second straight game and for the first time in his career, Cousins was held with a passing touchdown. He went 18-for-27 for just 173 yards and threw a late second quarter interception while on Denver's side of the field.
It didn't help matters that the Falcons offensive line couldn't protect him either, as he suffered four sacks and the team had five overall. He would late be benched for Michael Penix Jr. when things got too out of hand.
Bijan Robinson and running game have worst performance of season against Broncos
This game was a season-worst all around for Atlanta, and the offensive line’s struggles extended to the running game as well. The Falcons managed a season-low 50 rushing yards, averaging just 2.4 yards per carry.
Bijan Robinson, who had been hitting his stride in recent weeks with an average of 92.6 rushing yards per game, was limited to just 35 yards against Denver. This came on the heels of a career-high 116-yard game against the Saints in Week 10. The offensive line, which failed to establish a presence in the passing game, also couldn’t open up lanes for Robinson, stifling the Falcons’ ability to sustain drives.
