The Atlanta Falcons got started on the right foot against the Cincinnati Bengals, scoring a touchdown on their opening drive in Madrid. It was mostly downhill from there though, as Cincinanti roared back and dominated for pretty much the rest of the game, ending in a 34-17 loss for Atlanta.
Here's how the Falcons performed in all three phases.
Offense
The good news is that Michael Penix Jr. bounced back from the worst game of his career last week, taking better care of the ball, reading the field and getting the ball out quickly to his receivers. Penix also showed off a pretty solid Michael Vick impression, racking up 50 rushing yards on just three scrambles in the first half. Most importantly, he played turnover-free - at least until garbage time. In
the end, Penix went 20/31 for 162 yards, one touchdown, one pick and a 74.9 passer rating. Not his best, but a big improvement.
Meanwhile, Atlanta's run game looked strong from start to finish. Superstar running back Bijan Robinson roasted the Bengals defense both on the ground and through the air, racking up 147 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. Robinson averaged 5.3 yards per carry and 7.8 yards per reception. The Falcons racked up 157 yards total on the ground.
This was an excellent performance from the Falcons offensive line, which allowed zero sacks and zero hits on Penix and helped Robinson to a big stat line. However, the penalties proved costly, including multiple false starts by Jawaan Taylor.
Defense
The toughest matchup for the Falcons defense going in was their secondary against a lethal Bengals wide receiver corps. That matchup proved too much for Atlanta, especially faced with the superior size and speed of Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase was the biggest problem, particularly when he was lined up across from A.J. Terrell, who Joe Burrow went after relentlessly all morning. Chase wound up posting 10 catches for a game-high 155 yards and a touchdown. Higgins added another five catches, 32 yards and two scores.
Atlanta wasn't much better against the run, either. Even though Cincinnati came into this week with one of the worst rushing attacks in the league, Chase Brown was able to run for 57 yards on nine carries (6.3 per attempt) and the Bengals totaled 123 yards on 24 carries as a team.
It may have been a different game if the Falcons had been able to get consistent pressure on Burrow, but that did not happen at all despite the return of James Pearce to the lineup. Burrow was unmolested in the pocket virtually the whole game, taking two sacks (one of which was entirely his own fault) and six quarterback hits.
Special teams
The Falcons are still looking for an explosive weapon, here. Khalil Herbert got most of the work on kickoff returns, totaling 157 yards on six attempts. Meanwhile, Jake Bailey posted 136 yards on three punts, pinning the Bengals inside their own 20 twice. Nick Folk connected on his first field goal attempt from 31 yards out but also missed a huge kick in the fourth quarter from just 38.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Instant Analysis: Falcons drubbed by Bengals in Spain
