The Falcons’ ugly 16-0 loss to the Buccaneers sent them tumbling in the eyes of some national analysts, even if not everyone was ready to bury them after a rain-soaked disaster in Tampa.
Atlanta was blanked in a torrential downpour, and Michael Penix Jr. threw four interceptions while the defense surrendered 324 rushing yards. Now the Falcons turn right around and head across the pond for Week 9, where Cincinnati waits with Joe Burrow and one of the league’s most dangerous offenses.
Burrow leads the NFL’s top passing attack at 288.4 yards per game, and the Bengals are also scoring 29.4 points per game, second-best in the league. With Atlanta’s offense having been one of the NFL’s better units since Penix returned in Week 3, the Falcons will need to keep up.
James Pearce Jr.’s return could prove pivotal.
Around the NFC South, the picture is messy too. The Panthers dropped their second straight game, and the Saints lost for the fourth time in their last five. Falcons OnSI gathered the latest national power rankings and lined them up against the rest of the division.
Conor Orr moved Atlanta down three spots after the loss, pointing to the weather as a major factor. He said the Falcons “missed an opportunity” to let Bijan Robinson take over, and even joked that they could have gone to the wildcat for better results.
Orr has the Buccaneers at No. 16, up seven spots, while the Panthers sit at No. 20 and the Saints at No. 26.
He ranks the Bengals No. 10.
Pete Prisco kept the Falcons in place, but he did not hold back on the performance. He called Michael Penix a “turnover machine” and said Atlanta’s defense was “gashed” in the run game, which he labeled a “recipe for disaster.”
In Prisco’s rankings, the Buccaneers are also No. 16, up seven spots, with the Panthers No. 18 and the Saints No. 26.
He has Cincinnati at No. 8.
Nick Shook was just as blunt, saying the Falcons “flopped about as hard as possible” against Tampa Bay. He pointed to missed chances on offense from both Penix and Bijan Robinson, and he criticized the defense for failing to slow Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell.
Shook has the Buccaneers at No. 16, up three spots, the Panthers at No. 21, down one, and the Saints at No. 28, down five. He ranks the Bengals No.
ESPN’s rankings took a slightly different angle, focusing on the best in-season trade acquisitions. Marc Raimondi highlighted Van Jefferson’s addition in 2023, which only underscored how thin the pickings have been for Atlanta.
ESPN has the Panthers No. 17, up one spot, the Buccaneers No. 18, up six, and the Saints No. 26, down one. The Bengals come in at No.
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Buccaneers Face A Vita Vea Decision That Could Shift Fast
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Veas recent extension makes any move feel unlikely, and the Buccaneers are not planning to deal him right now. But his recent dip in performance has added a layer of intrigue to a decision that could move quickly if the next stretch of games changes the teams outlook, leaving Tampa Bay to balance present contention against the kind of long-term roster call that can reshape a defense. [Read more 🡒]