The Atlanta Falcons social media team gave me and multiple personalities on Falcons Twitter a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a Falcons game from one of their field-level suites this past Sunday. While the result wasn’t what any of us wanted, seeing the game from field level is an experience you can’t quantify easily in words.
I met a ton of amazing people for the first time and put faces to some of the profiles you routinely see in what I consider one of the better NFL fanbases on the platform.
However, during the Falcons’ 31-23 loss to the Chicago Bears, I had four clear takeaways, and I think I felt them more than I would from my usual seat (probably in the 300s).
Special Teams Woes
When Olamide Zaccheus came out for the first few returns, I was confused about why we weren’t using third-round rookie Zachariah Branch more in the return game. He was a dynamic returner, an All-SEC selection, and came into the league with track speed. However, after he fumbled twice, both times right in front of the field-level suites, it was clear Branch wasn’t ready to be the primary returner. In fact, the entire special teams unit, outside of the specialists, was atrocious.
According toPro-Football-Reference, the Falcons lost almost 3.5 expected points to special teams alone, that’s with the 6.36 expected points that the punting game (5.41) and kicking units (0.95) gave. When Branch fielded that punt inside the 10-yard line, you could feel the uneasiness as it descended from the sky. He clearly didn’t feel comfortable fielding that punt, and if you fumble once, it’s easy for it to stay in the back of your mind for the rest of the game, and it could have factored into his second fumble.
The Bears started four of their fourteen drives in Falcons territory; the Falcons did not start a single drive in Chicago territory, adding to their league-worst average drive start. The Falcons have been unable to get anything done or spark special teams. As Michael Penix Jr. continues to develop into a potential franchise quarterback, any advantage would help this offense, and Branch likely needs to round into form for that to happen.
The Bears Offense is Really Good
The Falcons defense had plenty of injuries in the secondary and at linebacker, but they showed no mercy and jumped on them from the start. Caleb Williams is so special, and his ability to get more out of a play than what was drawn up makes him dangerous, especially when he gets out of the pocket. Williams’ ability to get out of the pocket, despite how the defense plays it, is exceptional, and even though the rushing attack wasn’t explosive, it was effective enough that the Falcons defense had to respect it.
Also, watching Williams throw the ball from so many different arm angles and platforms was a highlight of the field-level experience. It absolutely pops out of his hand.
The Sheer Size and Speed of These Human Beings Cannot Be Exaggerated
On one of Olamide Zaccheus’s kick returns, I watched the lane open up for him after he fielded the ball. As he approached, it was still there, and I thought, “Oh, this is six,” but it closed so fast it was like a fly trying its luck against a Venus Flytrap. Outside of that, as the Falcons lined up from their six-yard line in the third quarter, the size of Kyle Pitts and how he is just as big as the offensive linemen, with just a slightly leaner frame, puts into perspective how truly massive a human being he is and how hard it must be to bring him down on a down-to-down basis.
If you ever get a shot at being near the field and experience how fast and hard these hits are, it is definitely worth it.
The Falcons Have a Huge Problem With Attendance…And It’s Not on The Fans
One of the Fox camera operators spoke with one of the creators in the suite, Kam, and he gave us one of the most damning indictments an organization can face.
As fans, it was a bit embarrassing to get to third down and watch the offense struggle with its cadence and operation on what’s supposed to be its home turf. However, the problem doesn’t lie only with the product on the field, where the Falcons haven’t hosted a playoff game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium since it opened in 2017. It also lies in the price of getting into the stadium. Every offseason, we’re given the spiel that the in-game experience is affordable; however, it doesn’t account for the cost to get into the building.
For the Falcons-49ers game, as of 11:59 on Monday, October 19th, the cheapest ticket is $166.60 in the 300-level. Now, there is a silver lining: if you plan, you can get to the Saints game on January 3rd, 2027 for $68.45, but with today’s economy, people may need time to solidify their plans. If you’re working a regular 9-to-5, it doesn’t make financial sense to decide in the week leading up to the game to go on Sunday. It feels like the common person is being pushed out of the Benz, leaving room for opposing fans, especially those with a presence in Georgia like the Bears, to take advantage and literally take over the venue.
The Falcons don’t have a pricing problem instead of a fan problem. While the experience inside is unrivaled, getting fans in seems to be the issue.
Overall, it was an incredible experience, and I can’t thank the Falcons’ social media and marketing team enough for letting me be part of it. The wings were phenomenal, and there were plenty of sweets for someone with a sweet tooth like me to enjoy. Also, the sliders? Tremendous.
Again, the result isn’t what we hoped for, but this team’s late fightback was awesome to watch and experience, and sharing it with some amazing individuals in the Falcons content creation space made it even better.
A huge shout-out to those who traveled to enjoy the experience, including the representatives from the Atlanta Falcons UK and Atlanta Falcons Germany. Everyone I spoke with in that suite made it clear they want what’s best for the Falcons and their fans, and we are praying we get a winner in that beautiful stadium sooner rather than later.
