NFC South power rankings, Week 2: Carolina Panthers hit rock bottom (again)
3. Atlanta Falcons
- Overreaction: Arthur Smith wasn’t the problem.
This one should be received well.
With a bevy of former first-round picks on offense, there was always a sense that the Atlanta Falcons were underachieving with the respective talent the roster boasted. Figuring out why was a trickier deal.
Perhaps it was the quarterback situation after years of underwhelming play from Desmond Ridder, Marcus Mariota, and Taylor Heinicke. Perhaps it was the coaching style, as Arthur Smith seemed to sideline the likes of Drake London, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts in favor of jet sweeps to backup tight end Jonnu Smith.
Falcons inside the five.
— Paul Patterson (@paulpattersonff) November 5, 2023
Screen to Jonnu.
Handoff to Jonnu.
Handoff to Allgeier.
Field goal.
Arthur Smith doesn’t care about your fantasy team OR winning games.
The Falcons went and seemingly fixed both. Out went Smith and Ridder. In came new head coach Raheem Morris and quarterback Kirk Cousins. At last, there would be competency. Preseason expectations for Atlanta were cautiously high, as analysts began to wonder if this conglomeration of talent would finally all click together.
Apparently not. The Falcons got sucker-punched by the Pittsburgh Steelers, only finding the end zone once and losing a game where they didn’t allow an opposing touchdown. To rub salt in the wound, Smith was calling plays for the opposition's offense.
Pitts and London combined for five receptions on six targets. Robinson averaged 3.8 yards per carry. The offense, for as much as people touted finally having the shackles off, looked the same as it did in 2023. A shaky, unreliable quarterback and young skill position players who disappeared from the game plan.
There were some positive takeaways, largely on defense. Ultimately, the expectations for this team should remain high. Cousins will further mesh with the rest of the guys, and they’ll shake off this loss and challenge for the division.
Still, it was about as bad of a game as it could have been. If the Falcons were in any other division, it would probably have gotten them last place in the power rankings. But the Carolina Panthers hold that dubious distinction right now.