Atlanta got their big win. What’s next?
What a difference a week can make. Last week’s question was soundly answered; Zac Robinson can indeed adjust. I’m almost comfortable closing the door on Week 1’s question, but I’m still not convinced we’ve seen the best of Kirk Cousins. If this team can build off of the last two minutes of Monday night, then I’m almost certain we will.
The Atlanta Falcons flipped the script in Philadelphia. Staring down a 0.7% chance of winning late, the Falcons drove the ball down the field and snatched victory from the beak of defeat. From there, the defense took care of the rest by pressuring Jalen Hurts and forcing him to throw an interception. This is the kind of victory teams can rally around and build on as they progress through the season. Only one thing stands in their way: the NFL’s best player.
Patrick Mahomes is coming to town for a primetime Sunday Night Football matchup. Not much needs to be said about the Chiefs. They’re looking for their third Super Bowl in a row. They’ve got two evil geniuses, Andy Reid and Steve Spagnuolo, and household names like Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. It’s easy to see why many believe they could be the first to win three Super Bowls in a row, but that doesn’t make them infallible.
The Falcons aren’t playing individuals; they’re playing a team, and this Chiefs team is beatable. The fact that the Chiefs have won both their games by a combined eight points is evidence of that.
Any given Sunday, as they always say. No matter the era, team, or scheme, anybody is liable to get beat in this league. The Falcons exemplified that simple phrase in Week 2, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Many wrote Atlanta off after the Steelers’ loss. The predictions went well past Monday night’s contest, with analysts and fans claiming this team was destined to be 0-4, 0-5, etc. Then Atlanta reminded everybody that counting your chickens before they hatch is unwise.
Morris: The first week we were terrible, from what I hear. Then you become the greatest, from what I hear. It’s about having that steady Eddie process. … Every week is its own separate entity in the National Football League. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) September 18, 2024
The season is in its infant stages, and the Falcons understand that better than anyone. Zac Robinson isn’t fielding questions about whether he can improve; now he’s being asked how he pulled it off. Kirk Cousins’ benching is no longer being called for by career backups Chase Daniel and Kurt Benkert; now they’ve had to accept that Cousins won’t be joining them in retirement anytime soon.
This is why they play the games. We’ve seen this team fold year after year, regardless of the head coach or general manager, but this time was different. The Falcons are free from having to believe they can overcome the odds because they’ve proven they can.
The energy around the team is notably different, and this week’s game appears to be a challenge they relish. As long as Atlanta focuses on playing their game, they’ll have a shot at taking down Goliath. Why can’t this be the start of something special?