Falcons still have work to do to challenge for a spot among the NFL’s elite teams – Winnipeg Free Press

ATLANTA (AP) — A three-game winning streak had the Atlanta Falcons looking like a team that might be ready to challenge for a spot among the NFL’s elite.

A sobering loss to the Seattle Seahawks showed they still haven’t figured out how to succeed on a consistent basis — a familiar refrain throughout the franchise’s nearly six-decade history.

Looking totally flat when they had every reason to be riding high, the Falcons (4-3) were blown out at home 34-14 by a Seattle team mired in a three-game losing streak.

It was a discouraging performance, to say the least.

“You can’t really put a finger on it,” first-year coach Raheem Morris. “We did not come out with the energy that was required to win a football game.”

Atlanta never led against the Seahawks, who blew the game open by coming up with three turnovers in the fourth quarter — including a scoop-and-score touchdown off a fumble by quarterback by Kirk Cousins that sealed the victory.

“It is hard to win a game in the National Football League, let alone three,” Morris said. “So, to be able to go out there to go out and win four (in a row), it’s definitely something good teams do. We’ve got to figure out how to do it.”

One of the biggest plays came right at the end of the first half, when Geno Smith connected with DK Metcalf on a 31-yard touchdown with 4 seconds remaining to push Seattle’s lead to 17-7.

Safety Justin Simmons blamed himself for a miscommunication that allowed Metcalf to get loose down the middle of the field.

“It’s unacceptable,” Simmons said. “That can’t happen as … the last line of defense.”

But fellow safety Jessie Bates stressed that there’s no need to panic. Sure, it was an inexplicable showing, but the Falcons are still in a solid spot as they wind down the first half of the season.

“We got beat,” Bates said, “but we’ll be fine.”

What’s working

On the heels of a season-best 198 yards against Carolina, the Falcons had another good day on the ground against Seattle. Bijan Robinson led the way with a season-high 103 yards on 21 carries, including a 5-yard touchdown. Overall, the Falcons averaged 4.8 yards per carry.

What needs help

The lack of a pass rush continues to be a major concern. James Smith-Williams had the only sack of Smith, who used his mobility to slip away from most of the pressure. For the season, the Falcons have only six sacks — worst in the NFL and hardly what the team expected with Grady Jarrett returning from a season-ending injury and a trade that brought in four-time Pro Bowler Matthew Judon. “We’ve got to get to the quarterback in a timely fashion,” Morris said. “We’ve got to get him on the ground when we send people.”

Stock up

The Falcons have figured out ways to get TE Kyle Pitts more involved in the offense. He was targeted nine times against the Seahawks and finished with a team-high seven receptions for 65 yards. Over the last three games, Pitts has 17 catches for 223 yards, a huge improvement over the eight catches for 115 yards he managed over the first four weeks of the season.

Stock down

The offensive line struggled to keep the pressure off Cousins. He was sacked three times, including the hit that led to the game-sealing fumble. Cousins also was also hit nine times after getting passes away.

Injuries

The struggles up front were exacerbated when LG Matthew Bergeron left the game in the third quarter with a neck injury. The line already has dealt with the loss of No. 1 center Drew Dalman, who is on injured reserve.

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