Falcons’ Frustration Boils Over Amid Penix Struggles and Another Loss

BERLIN, DE – The Atlanta Falcons have continued to sputter. They have lost four consecutive games and watched as their season has started to spiral. There is rarely just one thing to blame when a team hits a streak like this, but the offense has certainly generated its fair share of the criticism from fans and social media.

Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has been picking up heat, and second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. struggled on Sunday, completing just 42.8% of his attempts for 177 yards and a touchdown. His struggles came to a head on third downs, where he was 1-for-5 for negative-four yards and sacked three times (one fumble).

“They came out particularly on third down and hit us with some zero pressure, some fake zeros, couple different things,” head coach Raheem Morris said after the game. “We got some protection issues, made us run around a little bit. We had a couple of drops. Our guys came out, fought well, played hard. Michael always plays well, fights hard, along with all those guys. We've got to find a way to get better.”

The Falcons did not convert a single third down on Sunday, and it has been a major issue for this team over its four-game losing streak. They have converted just eight of their 40 attempts and just three in their last three games.

Penix was notably upset at the podium after the game.

I think that was the most downtrodden I have seen Michael Penix Jr. in a postgame press conference. Visibly frustrated with himself, seemingly as much as anything else.
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) November 9, 2025

“It's something we've got to figure out,” the quarterback said. “We'll figure out, watch film, figure it out. But, yeah, we've got to be better. And it starts with me.”

His top receiver, Drake London, was also visibly frustrated after the game.

“I just run the routes that I got,” he said.

The wideout expressed confidence that his quarterback will continue to improve, but took responsibility for helping him make those strides.

“He’s going to get way better as the games go on and the years progress,” London explained. “We gotta go out there and do a bit more as receivers. Get open a bit better.”

At times, it feels like London is the only wide receiver who is giving him that support. Despite being shaded by one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, London finished with 104 yards and half of Penix’s 12 completed passes. The wideout caught the only touchdown pass of the game and converted the two-point try.

Just one pass was completed to a different wide receiver.

The quarterback took the onus upon himself, saying, “I gotta play better.”

For a team that entered the season with playoff expectations, he has to. The performance of everyone on this offense has simply not been good enough. Far too often, they have sputtered, and the season has quickly come undone.

Despite those issues, the offense still managed to move the ball. They ran the ball effectively, picked up nearly as many first downs as the Colts did, and scored 25 points. At times, they did show what they were capable of, but as they have for nearly the entire season, it was rarely a completed project.

“We'll look at it. We'll be detailed. We'll be sharp. We'll practice. The guys do the right thing, like they always do. They'll respond. We'll find a way to win this game next week,” Morris said.

As the Falcons fly home sitting at 3-6, the questions surrounding their offense only grow louder. They will get another shot at redemption in Week 11 against the Carolina Panthers, the same team that embarrassed them by 30 earlier this year.

For now, the spiral continues.