Falcons’ Season Spirals After Another Second-Half Meltdown vs. Panthers

ATLANTA, GA – The entire sideline seemed to be frozen in time after Ryan Fitzgerald’s kick sailed through the uprights. The Atlanta Falcons had let another winnable game after a second-half collapse in a 30-27 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Their losing streak stretched to five games, and this one felt all too familiar for the Falcons. Not because it was their second straight overtime loss, but because of the missed opportunities that have continued to doom this team.

“We keep finding ways to make it tough,” head coach Raheem Morris said after the game. “Very winnable game for us. We gotta find a way to make a play, we keep saying that every week. Somebody’s gotta make a play and step up at the end, whether it be offense, defense, or special teams.”

A common phrase that has been heard after every loss.

The Falcons would trail for just 2:34 of this game, but it wouldn’t matter in the end. Sunday’s loss was another instance of this team struggling to maintain its consistency, both offensively and defensively.

The offense picked up 17 first downs, 257 yards of offense (94 rushing, 163 passing, averaging 8.9 yards per play), went 2-for-3 on third downs, and scored 21 points for the Falcons in the first half. Their defense largely suffocated the Panthers’ offense, holding a potent rushing attack to just 27 yards and hounding quarterback Bryce Young with pressure.

However, it was an inauspicious start for the Falcons in the second half, a potential foreshadowing of what was to come down the stretch.

Cornerback Natrone Brooks was burned by Xavier Legette for a touchdown to start the third quarter before he fumbled the ball on the ensuing kickoff. The Falcons held on fourth down, but the wheels fell off entirely after quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was lost to a lower-body injury.

The second-year quarterback had one of his better halves of football this season, but he did not return to the game after his injury.

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In his place, Kirk Cousins orchestrated another dismal offensive performance. The Falcons were held to just six first downs, 87 total yards, and they blew an 11-point lead at home. The backup quarterback completed just six of his 14 passes for 48 yards as the offense ground to a halt.

“We’ve just got to execute as the game goes on,” left guard Kyle Hinton said. “We just gotta make our adjustments and keep executing. I believe in all my teammates, and we’ve just gotta keep going.”

Drake London had another strong statistical performance. The wideout has emerged as one of the game’s elite receivers after another 100-yard day, but his Week 11 also finished on a sour note after he left the game with a knee injury.

Bijan Robinson found his missing gear, and the star running back carried the ball 23 times for 104 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but he, too, fell silent in the second half. He carried the ball six times for just seven yards after halftime.

“We gotta adjust on the fly,” the running back said about the quarterback change and subsequent struggles in the second half. “We’re all professionals. That’s what we’re here to do.”

On the other side, Young continued his reign of dominance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He threw for a franchise-record 448 yards, with 175 of those coming in the fourth quarter and overtime.

“I feel like we’re close, like we’re right there,” rookie edge rusher James Pearce Jr. said after the game. “We just got to execute. No mental fatigue. Get off the field when we need to get off the field and make plays when we gotta make plays.”

Pearce was one of the five defenders to record a sack in this game, and the rookie added two quarterback hits and a tackle for loss in this game. It wouldn’t prove to be enough, and the Panthers would have six different receivers pick up plays of 20 yards or more.

Their losing streak has reached the longest the franchise has had since Dan Quinn was fired in 2020, ironically with his last game coming against this same Panthers team. Despite these continued struggles, this team says it remains confident that wins are still around the corner.

Now at 3-7, time has likely run out on that.

Every game has its own story, but they have all had the same ending for the Atlanta Falcons over this losing streak. For five straight weeks, the Falcons have authored it. Unless something changes, the next book looks like it’s already written, too.