The Falcons don’t have much time to sit in what happened in Week 8. After one of the ugliest losses you’ll ever see, they’re headed straight into a chance to clean it up in Week 9 against the Bengals in Madrid.
Atlanta’s trip to Tampa Bay turned into a disaster from the opening minutes. In a 16-0 loss played through a literal monsoon, Michael Penix Jr. threw four interceptions, the run game never got going, and the Falcons were steamrolled on the ground as the Buccaneers piled up more than 320 rushing yards on 56 carries.
Baker Mayfield didn’t complete a single pass, a strange footnote in a game that still somehow got away from Atlanta. The Falcons also went 0-for-12 on third down, and the offense and defense both looked lost with Tommy Rees and Jeff Ulbrich calling the shots.
Now comes the reset button. The Bengals are next, and while the trade deadline chatter is already swallowing the league, Atlanta still has one more game to play before then. That makes Sunday morning feel like a real get-right spot for a team trying to stay in the NFC South race.
Cincinnati comes in off a wild one of its own. Joe Burrow and the Bengals went to Nashville and escaped the Titans with a 43-36 overtime win, even though they were trailing after the first, second and third quarters. Tennessee entered the day averaging 15.4 points per game, yet still pushed Cincinnati to the brink.
The Titans got strong outings from Cam Ward, who posted the first 300-yard passing game of his career, and Tony Pollard, who had his second straight 100-yard rushing game and added two touchdowns. They did it without Carnell Tate, with Gunnar Helm and Chimere Dike leading the way at receiver. On the defensive side, Dexter Lawrence II was productive with a sack, a tackle for loss and seven tackles, but his two pressures were his lowest total of the season.
Cincinnati’s offense, though, was the difference. Burrow went 38 of 48 for 462 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions, all of them picked off by Amani Hooker.
The Bengals still found a way because their receiver duo was too much to handle. Ja’Marr Chase finished with 11 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown, while Tee Higgins had 10 receptions for 155 yards and two scores.
Mike Gesicki added 76 yards and a touchdown, and Chase Brown chipped in with eight catches.
That win gave the Bengals three straight victories over the Dolphins, the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens and the Titans. Even so, the schedule still doesn’t show a true quality win for Cincinnati, despite the victory over the Bucs, which is part of why Atlanta can look at this game as a real opportunity.
The challenge is obvious, though. Cincinnati leads the league with 288.4 passing yards per game, and only the Bills are scoring more points per game at 33.3. The Bengals are also near the top of the league in offensive EPA numbers, which is exactly why Burrow is such a headache for every defense he faces.
That means the Falcons’ secondary is going to be tested immediately. A.J.
Terrell will likely draw Chase, and that leaves the rest of the matchup to C.J. Henderson or Avieon Terrell against Higgins.
That’s where things could get uncomfortable fast if Atlanta can’t hold up on the back end.
There is at least one area where the Falcons should feel better. Cincinnati doesn’t run the ball much, ranking near the bottom of the league with 80.3 rushing yards per game.
The Raiders and Packers are the only teams averaging fewer. Chase Brown is at just 3.6 yards per carry and looks more dangerous as a receiver than as a runner, while Samaje Perine doesn’t move the needle much.
That should give Atlanta a better chance to steady its run defense after the Tampa Bay collapse.
On the other side, the Bengals’ defense presents a chance for Atlanta to get back to what it does best. Cincinnati ranks 20th in defensive EPA success rate and defensive EPA per run per SumerSports, which opens the door for Bijan Robinson to get rolling again. If Brian Robinson Jr. is back this week as expected, that only strengthens the case for leaning on the ground game.
Drake London should also remain central to the plan. He’s likely to see D.J.
Turner in shadow coverage, but he’s still Michael Penix Jr.’s favorite target, and the way Atlanta moves him around should help create space. That can also take some pressure off Jahan Dotson and Kyle Pitts.
For Atlanta, the formula is pretty clear: run the ball, build Penix back up, and don’t ask him to carry the whole thing right away. The Falcons need to get back to pounding the rock, especially after drifting away from that identity in the rain last week against an elite Tampa Bay run defense. If they can establish Bijan early, it should help set up play-action and give Penix a better rhythm before the deep shots come.
Even with Dexter Lawrence II in the mix, Cincinnati’s defense still has holes. And while plenty of people are already looking past Atlanta and assuming a drop to 3-6, the Falcons did show a spark against the 49ers. Sunday is their chance to turn that into something more.
A win would move them to 4-5 before the trade deadline and could shift the conversation around this team in a hurry.
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Bijan Robinson Is Chasing A Rare Falcons Mark This Week
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