The Atlanta Falcons are circling the drain early in the 2026 NFL season. After a frustrating and winnable loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, they followed that up with an embarrassing performance in Week 2, getting humiliating in all three phases in a 31-point loss at home to the Carolina Panthers.
Going into Week 3, it's impossible to argue that there is any team in the NFC that's worse than this one right now. That's exactly where they are in the latest power rankings from The Athletic, where they're last in the conference and No. 31 overall.
"The undrafted free agent out of Division II Minnesota State Moorhead made his NFL debut Sunday to the delight of Falcons fans, who booed starter Cooper Rush consistently until he was pulled
following his third turnover. Strand then threw a pick six on his first NFL pass (the first player to do that since Sam Darnold in 2018). It wasn’t his fault, but it was emblematic of Atlanta’s day. Kendal Daniels, a fourth-round linebacker out of Oklahoma, may end up being a steal in the long run."
Only the Miami Dolphins are ranked lower than Atlanta after two games.
Fortunately, help is on the way.
Michael Penix Jr. will be making his 2026 debut on Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers. He has not appeared in a game since he tore his ACL last November. While Penix still has a lot of developing to do, it's literally impossible for him to play any worse than Cooper Rush, who ranks dead last in every meaningful QB stat.
Bad as it is, there are at least a couple silver linings. For one thing, the Falcons have allowed the fewest rushing yards per game (63.0) in the NFL this year. Also, their pass rush has performed better than expected given the big pieces they are missing.
That said, on the other side of the ball the only bright spot has been Bijan Robinson. That has to change if the Falcons are going to avoid finishing the season at the bottom of these rankings.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons nearing the bottom of Week 3 NFL power rankings
