The Falcons’ quarterback picture remains murky, and Week 1 only sharpened the uncertainty.
With veteran Cooper Rush battling back spasms and starting against the Steelers, Atlanta got the short version of what life looks like when the offense is stretched thin. Rush threw two interceptions, one of them taken back for a touchdown, and the Falcons never found much rhythm outside of RB Bijan Robinson. Drake London finished with just two catches for 29 yards on four targets, and Kyle Pitts did not haul in his lone target.
Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski said the plan is to keep feeding Robinson while demanding more from everyone else around him.
“Bijan is a great player. We are going to continue leaning on him, but we have to find ways to get all of our guys touches,” Falcons HC Kevin Stefanski said via the Athletic’s Josh Kendall. “That definitely is going to be a focus of ours.”
The offensive line took its share of the blame in the box score, surrendering four sacks and drawing five holding penalties, with C Ryan Neuzil the only starter not flagged. Even so, Stefanski pushed back on the idea that the front alone was responsible for the collapse.
“It’s not just the offensive line’s job to protect,” Stefanski said. “It’s wide receivers getting open, being great with your chips, ball coming out when the ball is supposed to come out.
It’s not fair to just point to the offensive line when it comes to that. You give (Pittsburgh) credit, but there are definitely things we could have done better.”
Stefanski also said he never seriously considered turning to UDFA rookie QB Jack Strand.
Rush, for his part, framed the start as a milestone even if the result fell well short.
“It was a cool moment for me personally… Wish I would have played better.” (Tori McElhaney)
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport added that “it’s pretty clear” the Falcons would like QB Michael Penix Jr. to be the starter once he’s healthy enough to go. Rapoport said Atlanta originally believed Penix might return before missing four games, but suggested that confidence has faded.
For now, there’s also the possibility that Tua Tagovailoa remains out another week because of an oblique injury, which can affect throwing. If Tagovailoa can’t play, Rush would be in line to start again.
Elsewhere in the NFC South, Panthers HC Dave Canales had a blunt read on Carolina’s 59-37 loss to the Bears.
Canales said he was “very disappointed” after the game and pointed directly at the turnovers.
“17 points off turnovers doesn’t equal 59 points.” (Alex Zietlow)
He also stood behind DC Ejiro Evero’s scheme despite the defense getting lit up for 59 points.
“I like our system, I like our scheme. I’ve seen this scheme work at a high level and I’ve seen us work in this scheme at a high level, and we need to find that week in and week out… All of us are disappointed with how it played out but this is the work we have.” (Joe Person)
There were a couple of injury notes out of Carolina as well. WR Jalen Coker was wearing a boot on his left foot in the locker room Monday after what he described as a rolled ankle in the first quarter of Week 1, though he does not expect to miss time and said the boot is precautionary. DT Bobby Brown said he is dealing with a bulging disc in his back after exiting the game twice.
In Other News...
Panthers Already Sent A Harsh Message To The Bottom Of The Roster
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The move also clears the way for a receiver room that already has a different look, with Tetairoa McMillan, Jalen Coker, Xavier Legette, Brycen Tremayne and John Metchie III among the names jockeying for snaps. Horn, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, did not record a reception or rushing attempt in the opener, and now his immediate future in Carolina is very much up in the air. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers Defender Sounds Alarm After Carolinas Week 1 Defensive Collapse
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For Carolina, the challenge now is turning that kind of self-criticism into a reset before the problems snowball. Phillips framed the defeat as a critical moment for the defense to learn from, which is exactly the sort of message the Panthers need after a start that left little room for comfort. The talent to make plays is there, but the standard has to rise quickly if the season is going to stabilize. [Read more 🡒]
Panthers May Already Have A Future Answer For Their Secondary
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Bolden is still early in his college journey, but the appeal is pretty clear: he has the kind of range and versatility that can help a defense handle modern passing games, along with the developmental runway teams crave when they are trying to build a secondary for the future. The Panthers are not shopping for answers in next spring's draft here, but if Bolden keeps trending the way evaluators expect, he is the sort of player who could eventually make Carolinas attention feel less like speculation and more like a head start. [Read more 🡒]