What we learned in Atlanta’s Week 7 loss

Penalties and miscues hindered the Falcons at first of the season, they usually returned towards the Seahawks. Atlanta dedicated 9 penalties setting them again 72 yards. The timing of these penalties was impactful, stalling drives for the Falcons’ offense and protecting the Seahawks’ drives alive.

For comparability, the Falcons had solely 4 penalties of their win towards the Panthers final week. Penalties have been an element for Atlanta from the very begin. Three flags have been thrown for false begins towards three completely different gamers on the Falcons’ opening possession, together with back-to-back penalties on third down.

The Falcons obtained the penalty yardage from the primary flag again on a 10-yard reception to Kyle Pitts that turned a 1st-and-15 right into a second and manageable. However then the back-to-back penalties compelled a punt after a failed third-down conversion. Atlanta’s offense did not discover a constant rhythm all through the sport, and penalties performed an enormous half in that.

Coming into the matchup the Falcons’ protection had been among the many finest within the league at containing explosive performs by the air. Seattle’s No. 1 passing offense posed a menace and took benefit, hitting a number of large performs downfield. The Seahawks completed the sport with 236 complete passing yards, which did fall shy of their 276.7 season common, however they largely ran the ball within the fourth quarter with a lead in hand.

Smith unfold the ball round to 6 completely different receivers, 4 had receptions of at the least 15 yards. After not registering a sack in Week 6 towards the Carolina Panthers, the Falcons generated constant strain on Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith and managed to get him on the bottom. James Smith-Williams, who began for injured exterior linebacker Lorenzo Carter, recorded a sack for a 6-yard loss within the second quarter. Defensive deal with Grady Jarrett additionally pressured Smith a number of instances, however he didn’t have a sack within the recreation.

All informed, a few of the Seahawks’ largest performs within the recreation got here when Smith was below strain however managed to slide away from Falcons’ defenders. Because the protection prepares for an additional vital matchup subsequent week, its means to get to the quarterback will as soon as once more be a subject of dialog.

Left guard Matthew Bergeron and middle Ryan Neuzil left the sport after sustaining accidents. Neuzil was accompanied by trainers as he walked off the sphere below his personal energy within the second quarter, and third-string middle Matt Hennessy, who began 22 video games for the Falcons from 2020-22 entered the sport. The substitution did not decelerate Atlanta’s dashing assault, although, as Bijan Robinson scored the Falcons’ first landing of the sport afterward the identical drive.

Neuzil returned later within the second quarter after he was evaluated for a doable head harm. Starter Drew Dalman went down with an ankle harm in Week 3 and was subsequently positioned on injured reserve. Neuzil has been beginning for the Falcons since. Bergeron left the sport on the Falcons’ first drive of the second half and was evaluated for a doable head harm. He was cleared for a doable concussion, however he didn’t return to the sport attributable to a neck harm. Reserve left guard Kyle Hinton performed the rest of the motion for Atlanta’s offense.

In his rookie season, Bijan Robinson scored 4 dashing touchdowns. It took solely seven video games for Robinson to match that complete in his second 12 months. He scored the landing on a 5-yard run within the second quarter; it was his third within the earlier two video games. Robinson completed the sport with 143 complete yards — 103 dashing and 40 receiving — and the landing towards the Seahawks. The working again broke away for a number of performs of 20 yards or extra towards Seattle’s protection, together with positive factors of 26 yards as a runner and receiver.

In simply the primary half, Robinson recorded 80 of his complete 103 dashing yards. Robinson additionally averaged a powerful 4.9 yards per carry. Tyler Allgeier added 36 yards to the Falcons’ 155 complete dashing yards.