We knew that the Bengals passing game was going to be difficult for Atlanta to deal with, so the hope was that Atlanta could create a couple of turnovers, play disciplined football, and win in a shootout. Instead, they allowed Joe Burrow to play a clean game, got killed by Ja”Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, piled up 11 penalties, and saw penalties and errors undermine the offense. The result was another lopsided loss for a team that we can emphatically say is not going to pull it all together in 2026
and make a real run at this thing.
The Bengals were just the better team across the board, and given their mediocre run game got going and their good-but-not-great defense made a bunch of big plays, that was tough to watch. The passing game was probably even better than I would have expected, and paired with all the mistakes from Atlanta, it was enough to ensure another double digit loss. The Falcons have now lost four of their past five games, all of them by at least seven points, and are broken in all the ways you’d expect the Atlanta Falcons of the past nine years to be broken. The rest of this season will be about fixing what can be fixed, building some positive momentum, and getting ready to invest in all the places where this team has fallen down. We’ll hope we can have some fun along the way, but it’s probably wise not to expect it.
Here’s a drive-by-drive recap from the day.
1st Quarter
The Falcons fielded the opening kickoff, with Khalil Herbert taking it to the 32 yard line, but a holding call brought that back. Michael Penix Jr. hit Jahan Dotson over the middle for 13 yards and a first down. Bijan Robinson then turned on the jets outside and got another first down. Then Penix hit Bijan for six yards. Bijan then scooted ahead for three yards after taking contact around the line of scrimmage. Bijan then took it outside, got a nice block, and cut back inside for close to 20 yards. Penix then took off and scrambled for a first down, with a penalty on the Bengals giving Atlanta more yards. Penix then tried London in the end zone, but a pass interference call gave Atlanta the ball at the one yard line. Then Penix hit Charlie Woerner for the touchdown to cap off an impressive drive. 7-0 Falcons.
The Bengals were planted by Mike Hughes on the return. Joe Burrow hit a reserve tight end for four yards on first down. A jet sweep to Dohnte Meyers went for 16 yards. Burrow rolled out away from pressure and was hit hard by Cameron Thomas at the end of it as he threw it away. Mike Gesicki reeled one in over the middle for eight yards. Burrow then hit Ja’Marr Chase deep for a 47 yard touchdown after Chase simply got by and outran A.J. Terrell. 7-7 tie.
Herbert had a nice return back to the 41. Penix rolled away from pressure but couldn’t find an open man, throwing it away. Penix then got Drake London over the middle into a tight window. Bijan then got a yard on first down. Penix had pressure in his face immediately and rushed the throw to Kyle Pitts on a screen, and it fell incomplete. On third down the Bengals blitzed and forced an incompletion, but an offsides gave Atlanta five yards. Penix then scrambled for 20 plus yards again, with a nice block from Kyle Pitts. Bijan then picked six yards running outside and another four on the next play for a first down. Penix then scrambled to the one, but a hold on Matthew Bergeron backed the Falcons up. Penix then got Olamide Zaccheaus for five yards. A false start on Jawaan Taylor backed the Falcons up again. Penix then went to Dotson for about eight yards. Penix was under pressure from Dexter Lawrence and had to throw it away. Nick Folk’s short kick was good to make it 10-7 Falcons.
Meyers got the Bengals to the 31 yard line. Chase Brown got caught from behind on a toss and maybe got a yard. A quick sideline ball to Tee Higgins for Burrow five yards. Higgins then pulled in a crazy leaping grab for a first down. Samaje Perine got four yards on first down. Chase then reeled in a one-handed grab, broke a tackle, and picked up a first down. A delayed screen to Brown got 10 yards and a first down.
2nd Quarter
Chase Brown just got a huge hole and went for 16 yards. Burrow tried Chase in the end zone again, and Henderson did a great job in coverage to ensure it fell incomplete. Chase got it over the middle for a first down on the next play. Brown was then stonewalled after close to a yard. Burrow snuck it in on the next play for a touchdown to make it 14-10 Bengals.
Herbert made it to the 32 yard line. A quick pass to the flat to Herbert picked up a yard or two. Then the Falcons were backed up five yards from a delay of game. Then Penix got Kyle Pitts for eight yards. Penix then had to throw it away with nobody open. The Bengals called for the fair catch at the 11 yard line. A quick slant to Ja’Marr Chase went for 31 yards as he took off and evaded multiple defenders. Then Chase Brown got eight yards. Perine was then stopped after a minimal gain by Gervon Dexter. Burrow just threw it up under pressure and Chase slid to make the grab, and Kevin Stefanski’s challenge failed. Burrow then hit Chase at the line of scrimmage, but Bates got him for just a yard. A false start on the Bengals backed Cincinnati up five yards. A quick hitter to Meyers went for five yards, but Meyers slipped before he could pick up anything else. Burrow got 14 yards and a first down on a toe tap sideline catch working against Terrell. Burrow tried to run away from the pressure, but Dexter sacked him. A defensive holding call on Terrell gave the Bengals five yards and a first down. Burrow then hit Chase over the middle for 12 more yards and another first down. Burrow hit Higgins in the end zone for the touchdown to make it 21-10 Bengals.
Zaccheaus got it to the 29 yard line. They picked up four yards on first down and followed it up with three more from Bijan on second down. Penix then hit Kyle Pitts over the middle for a first down, but a holding call on Jawaan Taylor screwed the Falcons over again. A screen to Bijan got the first down after he got the blocks and turned on the jets. Bijan caught a short pass, fumbled it backwards, and it rolled out of bounds for a loss. A slant to London picked up eight yards. Penix tried to hit Zaccheaus but overthrew him a bit. Punt, and it bounced out around the 15 yard line.
Burrow escaped pressure and hit Meyers for a big gain over the middle of the field. Then Burrow got Gesicki, and Mike Hughes flipped him up the air after five yards. Burrow then threw it in the dirt at Meyers’ feet. Evan McPherson’s kick was good from 57 yards out to make it 24-10 Bengals.
The return didn’t get far. Penix had to throw it away on first down. Then he scrambled for a first down and got past the 40 yard line. Penix then fired one downfield and it was knocked down.
3rd Quarter
Dohnte Meyers took it past the 30, but a holding call backed the Bengals up 10 yards. A quick gain of a yard and then a quick throw to Chase Brown went for maybe a yard. Burrow under pressure went too high to Chase. Punt, but Zaccheaus went a little bit backwards on the return and was injured on the play.
A quick pass to London went for nine yards. Bijan then got a yard for a first down, and then followed that up with two yards. Bijan then went for two more yards on a delayed handoff. Penix then floated one down the sideline to Bijan for 28 yards. Herbert then picked up seven yards running to the left. Bijan then went right and picked up another seven or so yards and a first down. Bijan then was patient behind his blocks and got four more yards, and then five more falling forward. On third down, Dexter Lawrence came rumbling through the line on a false start by Matthew Bergeron. Penix tried London in the end zone and didn’t get it, but the Bengals were hit with pass interference after DJ Turner grabbed London’s arm. Austin Hooper took the direct snap and didn’t quite get in the end zone. Bijan then got the corner for a touchdown. 24-17 Bengals.
The return was stopped just past the 25. C.J. Henderson was hit with pass interference working against Chase on first down. Perine then got three yards before LaCale London got him. Burrow then hit Higgins for a first down. Jessie Bates put the shoulder into Brown after five yards. A first down pass followed. Brown then cut it back inside for an easy first down. Brown then picked up 19 yards. Burrow then hit Higgins for another touchdown. 31-17 Bengals.
Bijan then picked up four yards, and then cut back inside for a first down. A quick pass to the flat for Herbert got three yards. Then Penix got London for 22 yards, with London smashing into the cornerback a little angrily.
4th Quarter
Bijan went for seven yards on first down. Then the Falcons tried a flea flicker and Penix tried it to Chris Blair. Penix then hit London for a first down. Pitts got it for six yards. Bijan made one man miss and got a couple more yards. Penix then threw it away under pressure on third down, and an offsides penalty (declined) and a holding call (accepted) moved the Falcons back to 3rd and 12. The screen to Bijan went absolutely nowhere. Then Nick Folk missed a 38 yard field goal. Bengals ball.
Seven yards, then a screen to Chase that picked up two more. Burrow then tried to run away, almost did it, and LaCale London sacked him. Punt, and a block in the back on the return had Atlanta deep in their own territory. A checkdown to Bijan lost yards, with Penix under pressure. Penix then threw one that Jordan Battle should have picked, but dropped. Pitts then picked up a first down on a bullet from Penix and a heroic effort by the tight end, but then an illegal shift call brought it back. Penix then threw it at Herbert’s feet. Punt, and the Bengals got it around Atlanta’s 48 yard line.
Perine picked up eight yards on first down. Perine lost a yard on the next carry. Burow then got Chase for a first down. Perine lost a yard, got a couple, and then got a couple more. The Bengals hit another field goal to make it 34-17 Bengals.
After getting close to the 30 yard line, Pitts got nine yards. Penix then threw low over the middle toward Bijan and it was picked off.
Brown was tackled after a minimal gain. The hard count from the Bengals got the Falcons to infract the neutral zone. Perine then busted through for a first down and slid to end the game.
