Each unit had its problems and pitfalls when losing. And no unit could come to the aid of the others as in the past. The Falcons couldn’t save the Falcons this Sunday. And again: it applied to everyone.

The defense? They gave up over 200 passing yards in the first half, 99 of which went to DK Metcalf on four catches alone. A two-minute drill at the end of the half felt like a nail in the coffin for a team fighting to get back into the game. That six-play drive that ended in a 31-yard Metcalf touchdown and a 17-7 lead for the Seahawks was a dagger.

After the match, Jessie Bates III saw that moment as a major source of frustration.

“I think we were in a great position before halftime, down by three, but instead we gave up a touchdown,” Bates said. “That’s a recurring thing that’s happened over the last few weeks.”

Justin Simmons called the performance overall “not good enough” and “unacceptable”.

“There were a lot of things that didn’t go right,” Simmons said. “Just defensively, we didn’t play well enough today to even give us a chance to win the game, regardless of what happened around the offense and special teams.”

However, the same sentiments of Simmons also imitated those of offensive players. Because of the violation? They also did not keep their agreement.

Although Robinson would finish the afternoon with 103 rushing yards, the offense as a whole – when it mattered most – couldn’t keep the ball.

After going three-and-out on their second drive of the third quarter, still trailing by 10, the Falcons turned the ball over on three consecutive drives. Cousins ​​fumbled the ball on a third-down sack to start the fourth quarter. That fumble was returned for a touchdown. Then back-to-back interceptions on the next two drives froze the game.

Collectively, the Falcons were penalized nine times in critical moments with drives halted for the offense or extended for the defense.

“We had to execute as a foul before, and then the penalties definitely hurt us,” Robinson said of the foul after the game. “For us it’s about staying physical throughout the match and not letting mental mistakes or bad things that might have happened during the match affect us.”

And what about special teams? Yes, Younghoe Koo missed a 54-yard field goal early in the second quarter.

The team – not the offense, defense or special teams individually, but the whole team together – came out flat on Sunday, “for whatever reason,” Morris added.

“We didn’t play well as a unit across the board,” Morris said. “Special teams, offense or defense, we have to go to the lab next week and find a way.”

Because this time next week the Falcons are on the road in Tampa Bay to take on a Buccaneers team they just beat in overtime two weeks ago. It’s no time to overreact, Bates said, but things have to be different because the Buccaneers don’t care, and the Falcons know they won’t get a division win by playing like they did last Sunday. Simmons agreed.

“There’s no panic button,” he said. “But if we want to be where we want to be, we have to fix that.”