The Falcons keep getting the same test, and it’s becoming impossible to ignore: can they handle the blitz?
Opposing defenses have made sure Atlanta gets that answer often. According to Pro Football Network, the Falcons have seen blitzes on 36.5% of their offensive dropbacks this season, the second-highest rate in the NFL behind only the Chicago Bears at 40.9%.
That kind of volume doesn’t automatically spell trouble. Teams blitz for all kinds of reasons, and Atlanta has shown flashes of being able to punish extra rushers. But with Michael Penix Jr. struggling badly when pressure gets home, the Falcons have a weakness that defenses are clearly happy to keep attacking.
The clearest example came in the Week 6 loss to Chicago. The Bears blitzed Penix 22 times, hit him with five sacks and forced two fumbles, including one Atlanta lost. Chicago defensive back Kyler Gordon was a major problem all afternoon, piling up three sacks in his first game of the season.
That’s the kind of tape opposing coordinators will circle immediately. If the Falcons can’t sort out the protection issues and give their quarterback cleaner answers, there’s no reason for defenses to back off.
Penix has his share of blame, especially when it comes to spotting pressure before the snap and getting the ball out quickly and accurately. But this isn’t just on him.
Bijan Robinson admitted after the Bears game that he needed to be better in pass protection, and he gave up three pressures and two sacks in that matchup. That’s part of the larger picture here: when pressure comes, the whole operation has to work together.
The offensive line has to communicate and sort out assignments. The backs have to know their jobs in protection.
Penix has to recognize where the heat is coming from. If any one piece breaks down, the blitz gets home.
And right now, defenses have every reason to keep coming after Atlanta. The Falcons’ offensive line has already underperformed this season, and new OL coach Bill Callahan doesn’t have much time to straighten it out.
At 3-5 after another frustrating loss, the Falcons don’t have the luxury of treating this as a quarterback-only issue. Fixing the blitz problem has to be a full-offense priority.
In Other News...
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Bates is a pending free agent and a 2023 Pro Bowler, which naturally makes him a player rival clubs would ask about, but a deal still looks like a long shot. His salary is a hurdle, and Atlanta does not appear eager to absorb money just to make a trade easier, especially with Bates still operating as a full-time starter next to rookie Xavier Watts. [Read more 🡒]
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Bijan Robinson opened the 2026 season looking every bit like the engine of Atlantas offense, stacking multiple games with more than 100 scrimmage yards and giving the Falcons the kind of backfield production that can tilt a game plan. Over the last four weeks, though, the rhythm has changed. The touches are still there, but the same explosive finish has been harder to find, and Robinson has already acknowledged to reporters that his recent play has not matched his standard.
The timing matters because Atlanta heads into Week 9 against Cincinnati with a matchup that should be there for the taking on the ground. The Bengals have been vulnerable enough in run defense to give Robinson a path back toward the kind of impact the Falcons need from him, especially as they try to steady an offense that has leaned on him all season. For Atlanta, the question is less whether the opportunity will be there and more whether Robinson can turn it into the kind of statement outing that resets the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Bijan Robinson Just Gave Falcons Fans A Perfect Spain Game Moment
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For Atlanta, it is a reminder that Robinsons appeal stretches well beyond the usual NFL audience. A player who can draw attention in a soccer-mad city like Madrid gives the Falcons a rare chance to connect with new fans in a setting built for that kind of exposure. The league wanted a showcase in Spain, and Robinson gave it one before the first snap even mattered. [Read more 🡒]