The Falcons are heading into their Week 9 matchup with the Bengals short-handed, and the injury news is already piling up after a miserable Sunday in Tampa Bay.
Atlanta was steamrolled 16-0 by the Buccaneers on the road, a loss that dropped the team to 3-5 and made unwanted history in the process. The Falcons became the first team in the modern era to lose a game while allowing zero completed passes, and Michael Penix Jr. had a rough afternoon, throwing four interceptions in the defeat.
Now the focus shifts to Madrid, where Atlanta will face Cincinnati next week at 9:30 am ET. Before that trip, the Falcons have already ruled out two players with hamstring injuries.
“Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski says Samson Ebukam and Zachariah Branch have hamstring injuries and are out this week,” reported NFL insider Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network on X, formerly Twitter.
Ebukam’s absence hurts a defense that already had little to celebrate against Tampa Bay. The Falcons were gashed on the ground throughout the game, even with the Buccaneers’ plan pretty clear from the start.
Branch’s injury is another setback. He had begun to flash over the last couple of weeks after a rough showing against the Chicago Bears last month, so Atlanta will miss that recent progress against Cincinnati.
There is at least one boost on the way. Star pass rusher James Pearce Jr. is now eligible to return after serving his eight-game suspension, and he should give the Falcons a needed lift against a Bengals passing game that can punish mistakes.
In Other News...
Falcons Just Got Outplayed In The Exact Way They Wanted To Win
Rainy conditions in Week 8 turned into a ground-game test, and it was Tampa Bay that controlled it. The Buccaneers leaned hard on the run and came away with a 16-0 win, while Atlanta never found the same kind of rhythm on the ground despite having Bijan Robinson in the backfield. It was the sort of game the Falcons usually want to make their own, only this time they were the ones getting pushed around in it.
The matchup carried a little extra edge because Zac Robinson was on the other sideline as Tampa Bays offensive coordinator, facing Atlanta for the first time since leaving. Instead of the Falcons dictating terms with their rushing attack, the Buccaneers were the more effective and more committed team in that phase, which only sharpened the frustration for Atlanta. For a club built to lean on the run, getting outplayed there is the kind of result that lingers. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Just Got A Huge Pass Rush Boost At The Right Time
The Falcons got a timely lift for a pass rush that could use it, reinstating edge rusher James Pearce Jr. and making him eligible to rejoin the mix for their Week 9 matchup against the Bengals. Pearce led Atlanta in sacks last season, and his return gives the defense a proven edge presence at a point in the schedule when pressure off the corner can change the tone of a game.
To clear the way, Atlanta moved on from defensive lineman Jared Ivey and defensive end Drake Jackson, a reminder that roster churn is part of the cost of getting healthier. The bigger question now is how quickly Pearce can slide back into the rotation and whether the Falcons can turn that added pressure into the kind of disruption they have been looking for all season. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Head To Madrid With Two Big Week 9 Problems
The Falcons preparations for their Week 9 trip to Madrid took a hit when head coach Kevin Stefanski ruled out wide receiver Zachariah Branch and edge rusher Samson Ebukam because of hamstring injuries. Branch was hurt in the previous game against the Buccaneers and had been handling return duties, while Ebukam has been one of Atlantas more productive pass rushers with 2.5 sacks this season.
Help may be on the way, though, in the form of edge rusher James Pearce Jr., who is now eligible to return after serving an eight-game suspension. Whether the Falcons choose to activate him for the international game would give them another option on a defense suddenly dealing with some thin spots at two important positions. [Read more 🡒]