Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews arrived in time to play, but the team got off to a slow start and never recovered during Thursday night’s 25-15 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
The offense was unable to move the ball on the ground and QB Marcus Mariota made questionable decisions all night long. Defensively, the Falcons couldn’t stop Panthers running back D’Onta Foreman, who finished with 130 yards and a touchdown.
Here are five takeaways from Atlanta’s prime-time loss to Carolina.
1
Mariota played himself out of the job
Whether he was throwing late over the middle, forcing the ball into coverage or simply missing open receivers, Marcus Mariota had a rough night. The Falcons signal-caller’s lack of precision is a real cause for concern, and now that the team has dropped to 4-6, it may be time for Arthur Smith to look to rookie Desmond Ridder. The Panthers defense deserves credit for dominating the line of scrimmage, but you simply can’t make some of the throws Mariota made on Thursday night. His numbers weren’t bad, but he didn’t pass the eye test in front of a national audience.
2
Falcons running game held in check
The Falcons finished with 138 rushing yards –which is not terrible on paper — but they did very little in the first half. Most of Atlanta’s yardage came in garbage time. For once, the offensive line got outplayed by a more physical Panthers front seven. Mariota led the team in rushing with 43 yards on three carries. Allgeier led the team in carries with nine, but he only managed 20 yards. Cordarrelle Patterson rushed five times for 18 yards and Caleb Huntley was the most efficient back with 32 yards on five carries.
3
Defense couldn't stop D'Onta Foreman, again
Coming into the game, the Falcons were supposed to be the dominant ground team, while the Panthers traded away their star running back, Christian McCaffrey. Apparently, Carolina didn’t get the memo, rushing for nearly 100 yards more than Atlanta. The Falcons held Panthers QB PJ Walker to 108 passing yards, but they missed three pretty solid chances at interceptions. The defense got outplayed by Carolina up front, but the Falcons offense also played a role in the team’s defensive struggles.
4
Drake London finds the end zone
Drake London finally found the end zone again, but he finished with just 38 yards despite five catches. London’s production is a result of this style of offense, which focuses more on short passes than taking deep shots to Atlanta’s big-bodied receivers. Mariota was wildly inaccurate when he did throw the ball down the field, so it was tough for any pass-catcher to have a major impact. Damiere Byrd had a nice game with three catches for 58 yards. KhaDarel Hodge also had a touchdown reception.
5
What's next for Atlanta?
In Week 11, the Falcons host the Chicago Bears and QB Justin Fields. The Bears are 3-6, with a matchup against the Detroit Lions in Week 10. It will be another physical matchup, but Atlanta is likely to be favored at home. The Falcons are a better offensive team (usually), but the Bears are better on defense. They could look to copy Carolina’s blueprint in order to slow Atlanta next Sunday.
