The Falcons head into Madrid with the same kind of uncertainty that has followed them all season, and the staff predictions for Sunday’s Week 9 matchup against the Bengals reflect it. Atlanta is trying to snap back into the win column against a Cincinnati team that has won three straight, but nobody around the Falcons is pretending this is a simple assignment.
The challenge starts with Joe Burrow and a Bengals offense that has been one of the league’s most productive. Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins give Cincinnati two dangerous targets, and with Atlanta’s injuries starting to pile up, the Falcons’ defense is staring at a tough day trying to slow that passing game down. On the other side, Michael Penix Jr. and Bijan Robinson will have to do their part against a Bengals defense that has been shaky at times if Atlanta wants to keep this one within striking distance.
That’s where the split comes in. One prediction sees a shootout with Atlanta hanging around long enough to steal it, pointing to the fact that Cincinnati is not an elite pressure team.
If the Falcons can keep Penix clean, that view goes, they can stay in the fight. The pick there is a 34-30 Falcons win, with the idea that Atlanta usually finds one of these unexpected victories each year and might be able to get to Burrow a few times.
Another forecast also expects fireworks in Spain, but lands on the Bengals. That read calls Cincinnati’s defense middle of the pack and says Atlanta should still find chances to score, while also questioning whether the Falcons’ secondary can keep up with Chase and Higgins. In that version, the Bengals leave Madrid with the win.
A third prediction finally breaks from the Falcons after backing them in each of the last three games. That outlook says Burrow and Cincinnati’s offense will be too much, especially with Atlanta’s injuries catching up. The Falcons are expected to keep it close, but the call is Bengals 27, Falcons 24.
There’s also a belief that this is exactly the kind of matchup Atlanta can turn on its head. The reasoning is simple: the Falcons have been inconsistent enough to beat teams they shouldn’t and lose to teams they shouldn’t.
That makes a trip overseas against a strong opponent feel dangerous in the best possible way. Still, that same prediction notes several reasons for optimism, including Atlanta’s pass defense, a fully healthy secondary, and the return of its best pass rusher from suspension, though he is questionable for Sunday.
That same view says the offense needs a bounce-back after Michael Penix Jr. had what was described as his best Desmond Ridder impression last week. It also expects the Falcons’ offensive line to respond after being dominated by the Buccaneers’ defensive front. The final call there is an Atlanta upset, fueled by an inspired run game and some big plays from Jeff Ulbrich and his defense when it matters.
And then there’s the most skeptical take of the bunch. That one leans on the long-running idea that predicting the Falcons is a fast track to looking foolish, while also noting that general manager Ian Cunningham has helped address needs in free agency and matched premium positions of need with top draft picks. Even so, the team remains maddeningly inconsistent because of the talent and depth issues inherited by Cunningham and head coach Kevin Stefanski.
That prediction points out that Atlanta’s 3-5 record matches the record of the person making the picks, with the added wrinkle that in each of the Falcons’ three wins, the pick was against them. So yes, being an underdog in a foreign country makes Atlanta dangerous. But the final read still comes down to logic, and logic says the cracks in the Falcons’ defense will be too much for the offense to overcome.
In Other News...
Falcons Suddenly Have A Week 9 Depth Chart Problem In Madrid
The Falcons trip to Madrid has already brought a little roster churn, with the team moving edge rushers Drake Jackson and Jared Ivey off the 53-man roster and onto the practice squad ahead of Week 9 against the Bengals. It is the kind of adjustment that usually signals a team trying to keep its depth intact for the long haul, but in this case it also reflects a defense that is suddenly juggling availability at a key spot.
Samson Ebukam has landed on injured reserve with a hamstring injury, while James Pearce Jr. is back from suspension but still listed as questionable because of a back issue. On the other side of the ball, the Falcons will be without wide receiver Zachariah Branch and running back Brian Robinson Jr., leaving Olamide Zaccheaus and Khalil Herbert in line for bigger roles as Atlanta tries to sort out a thin depth chart in an unusual setting. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Backfield Takes A Hit Right Before Bengals Matchup
The Falcons backfield depth took a hit just as they turn the page toward a Week 9 meeting with the Bengals in Spain. Brian Robinson Jr. has been placed on injured reserve because of a lower-body injury, leaving Atlanta to navigate at least the next four weeks without one of its running backs as the team prepares for the second regular-season NFL game ever played in Spain.
Atlanta moved quickly to fill the spot, signing Khalil Herbert from the practice squad to give the roster another option behind the remaining backs. It is the kind of adjustment that can matter even more on a trip like this, where the Falcons are already dealing with the usual travel and preparation challenges before facing Cincinnati on an international stage. [Read more 🡒]
Drake London Adds To Falcons Frustration After Costly Tampa Mistake
The Falcons are trying to move past a frustrating shutout against Tampa Bay, but Drake Londons day against the Buccaneers still carried an extra sting. London finished with one catch for 8 yards in the 16-0 loss, a quiet outing in a game Atlanta could ill afford to waste as it continued searching for answers on offense.
Now the focus shifts to Madrid, where the Falcons are set to face the Cincinnati Bengals, and London has already pointed to the teams work to clean things up after the defeat. Even with the next trip on the schedule, the aftermath from Tampa lingers a little longer thanks to the leagues latest discipline, another reminder of how costly that afternoon was for Atlanta. [Read more 🡒]