The Atlanta Falcons overcame the odds and their own mistakes to derail the Tampa Bay Buccaneers season. Any chance of real success is over, but that didn’t stop this team from trying to win. Here are the Week
15 snap reactions.
The Unicorn
Kyle Pitts delivered the best game of his career under the Thursday night lights. His three touchdowns bested his career season average, and his 166 yards marked his first 100-yard outing since his rookie year. Pitts ranks second among tight ends in yards before the weekend slate is played, with a 70-yard lead over third place.
The Falcons face a tough offseason decision: bring Pitts back, let him walk, or tag and trade. Lately, Pitts is making that choice even tougher.
A Penalty Palooza
The Falcons set a new franchise record for penalties and are the first team to win after committing 15+ penalties since the 2016 Raiders against the Buccaneers (and before that, the 1944 Sid Luckman-led Chicago Bears). Yes, some of the calls were soft or outright atrocious, but the Falcons earned plenty of their own and had a handful declined.
The procedural penalties aren’t a bug; they’re a feature. The team gets sloppy at the most critical points of the game, and that’s a reflection of how they’re coached. To say the team got lucky that they still managed to win this game is an understatement.
Kirk Cousins, the Pirate Slayer
Cousins has dazzled in all three outings against Todd Bowles’ defense. The veteran stood in the pocket and delivered when the heat was on, painting the middle of the field and helping Kyle Pitts realize his full potential.
If every game were against Tampa Bay, Atlanta would be more than happy with the deal they gave the quarterback in 2024. While it’s unlikely Cousins’ future is in Atlanta, if he plays well enough to get signed, that could help the Falcons get the ever elusive compensatory pick.
Nothing has changed
The players needed this win, and they earned it by continuing to fight after falling behind by two scores in the 3rd quarter, but this is still the same poorly coached team we’ve seen all season. Volatile performances and questionable coaching were just as present as they have been all year. Winning is all that matters, but this isn’t a recipe that teams strive to replicate, and yet Raheem Morris had the gall to call it a stepping stone. A win under these circumstances shouldn’t make anyone feel better about the team’s leader. Tonight showed just how up for grabs this division was, but the Falcons season ended last week.
The Pass Rush Renaissance
I’ve never seen anything like this in my time as a Falcons fan. The Gritz Blitz is akin to Tolkien mythology to me. James Pearce Jr. set the franchise rookie record for sacks with three games to go. He and Jalon Walker are only the 5th rookie duo ever to produce six or more sacks each. Brandon Dorlus has provided pressure from the interior all year and looks like a hit. After years of futility, I am genuinely excited to watch the Falcons rush the passer each and every Sunday, and it feels like they’ve only begun to scratch the surface.
The Falcons have now improved to 5-9. The season is over, but watching the young investments on defense progress and the offensive stars shine brings a smile to my face—surely I’m not alone. While the future is shrouded in uncertainty, the present is about enjoying this win.
