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Coach Kevin Stefanski’s Atlanta Falcons fought hard on Sunday Night Football in a game that saw backup QB Tua Tagovailoa make his debut, but came out on the short end of the stick in a 30-23 loss. Things started out on a positive note for Stefanski’s team as Michael Penix Jr. was healthy and Jessie Bates sparked the defense with a bonkers return touchdown.
Jesse Minter’s Ravens were not deterred as they fought back and tied the game up at 23-23 before overtime. Backup Ravens QB Tyler Huntley punctuated a game-winning overtime drive with a one-yard touchdown run that included a Tyler Loop extra point and set the stage for Tagovailoa’s game-losing interception.
After the game, there was plenty of blame to assign as Stefanski’s Falcons snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, falling to 2-3 on the season. Minter’s Ravens improved their record to 4-1 on a heartbreaking, disappointing night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.
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Here are three Falcons who deserve some heat after the rough loss to a team without its best player, starting quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Falcon to blame #1: Kevin Stefanski
Stefanski put his team in position to win throughout the night but the Falcons didn’t get it done, so he will be forced to shoulder the lion’s share of the blame by nature among the team’s coaching staff.
Stefanski has the intelligence, experience, look and air of confidence befitting a prime time, top tier NFL coach but his record hasn’t bore that out yet. He is now 47-59 in his NFL coaching career including stops at both Cleveland and Atlanta, causing fans to wonder if he will get over the hump and deliver a winning season in the ATL.
The Falcons missed out on a golden opportunity to seize control of the NFC South by surpassing the 2-2 Carolina Panthers. Instead, they fell a half-game behind Dave Canales’ team and will now be forced to play catch-up in the coming weeks.
Stefanski’s team once again looked crisp on offense as Penix Jr., Bijan Robinson, Drake London and others starred throughout the night, but his team was penalized seven times for 67 yards, making sloppy mistakes that simply can’t happen in a prime time game of this magnitude. Many fans expected the Falcons to beat the Ravens with Lamar Jackson sidelined due to injury. Instead, they took an unfortunate and unnecessary loss that will put them behind the eight-ball for the time being.
Falcon to blame #2: Jeff Ulbrich
Ulbrich’s defensive unit started strong but got progressively worse throughout the contest. Huntley got support from Derrick Henry before the game and more support during the game as Henry shredded the Falcons’ defense with 102 yards.
Henry also broke a nearly two-year spell with a huge play that few saw coming, including Ulbrich. Ulbrich’s defense gave up 391 total yards including 5.5 yards per play to a backup quarterback. They got the huge play from Bates early but failed to turn up the heat throughout the game, squandering a raucous home field advantage and letting Huntley carve up their defense with an efficient 201 passing yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Ulbrich and the Falcons’ defense has now given up 122 points on the season, second worst in the NFC South Division and among the worst defensive units in the NFC. If things don’t turn around fast, Stefanski could be looking for Ulbrich’s replacement this offseason.
Falcon to blame #3: Tua Tagovailoa
Tagovailoa experienced dizzying highs and terrifying lows all in his first game as a Falcon. He came in with plenty of hope and completed his first pass for 14 yards before throwing the game-clinching interception in overtime with the Falcons trailing 30-23.
A little rust was to be expected from Tagovailoa as he was making his season debut after a long layoff, but he set the bar high with his first completion and then took the air out of the building with his ill-advised final throw.
Penix Jr.’s rib injury looked like it could be one that lingers going forward, putting pressure on Tagovailoa to take responsibility for his bad throw and to rally his troops after the game and into this week’s practices.
“I really feel bad for Michael Penix,” NFL analyst and former Jaguars star Maurice-Jones Drew said after the game, a sentiment echoed by millions of Falcons fans. Tagovailoa has the skills to be a plus starter for Stefanski’s team, but his rust and sped-up mind got the best of him in Atlanta’s latest loss.
Stefanski, Ulbrich, and Tagovailoa all deserve blame after the Falcons’ heart-breaking setback, and getting over this loss will take a team effort with Ben Johnson’s Bears coming to town on October 18.
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