The Falcons Week 1 loss to the Bucs was the same type of defeat that has been playing on repeat in Atlanta for two decades — a very winnable game that was lost on the margins. Atlanta out-gained the Bucs by 100 yards, didn’t turn the ball over, and Michael Penix Jr. was as brilliant as a quarterback could look in his fourth NFL start. They held a lead with just over two minutes to go and lost, with Younghoe Koo missing another game-tying field goal on the team’s final possession.

There’s a lot to be excited about in Atlanta. Penix is undoubtedly the future of the franchise at the quarterback position, and the defense played more aggressive than they have in nearly a decade. This could very well be the year the Falcons break their seven season playoff drought, but there were a lot of concerning aspects on Sunday that could ultimately derail that for another year.

Younghoe Koo

The Falcons have a Younghoe Koo problem, and it’s not something that magically appeared out of nowhere. He’s steadily regressed since the 2023 season and was one of the worst kickers in football last year before the team put him on the IR. There’s simply too much stuff going through his head right now, and nobody should have confidence that he can do his job moving forward.

Raheem Morris said on Monday the team will bring in veteran options to compete with Koo. That should have happened during the offseason, but as they say, better late than never. The sooner the Falcons find a competent replacement, the better off they’ll be when it comes to winning football games.

The Offensive Line

The box score for Michael Penix Jr. was impressive. He accounted for over 300 yards of offense and two touchdowns without putting the ball in harm’s way once. But what makes it even more impressive is he did it while everything around him was faltering. The Falcons offensive line got zero push in the run game, and the pass protection was spotty at best. This was one of the better units in the league last season, but this year’s group features some new faces.

The Falcons lost Kaleb McGary for the season. His backup Storm Norton is also sidelined with an ankle injury, and Ryan Neuzil is taking over at center for Drew Dalman, who signed a lucrative contract with the Bears in free agency. That’s a lot of moving parts, and it looked like it on Sunday against the Bucs. This group has to be better moving forward, or it’s going to be a long season in Atlanta.

Zac Robinson

It seems like every disciple of Kyle Shanahan and Sean McVay is the next boy genius, which is why Zac Robinson was so highly coveted when he came to Atlanta from Los Angeles, where he was the Rams quarterbacks coach. However, his first year as offensive coordinator with the Falcons was underwhelming, and year two is off to a dismal start. Robinson showed very limited creativity against the Bucs, especially in critical situations. He was yet another obstacle Michael Penix Jr. had to overcome, a testament to just how well the first-year starting quarterback played.

Raheem Morris

Two of the three things mentioned above are directly correlated to the Falcons head coach Raheem Morris. He hired Zac Robinson to be his offensive coordinator, which has not gone well to this point. Additionally, he was apart of the decision to ride with Younghoe Koo after his struggles last season. Both of those things cost the Falcons in Week 1, along with penalties and an incredibly inefficient special teams unit. All of that lies at the feet of the head coach, who seems to be in way over his head through his first 18 games with the Falcons.

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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire

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