2 Falcons to blame after inexcusable Week 1 loss

After an offseason roster and coaching staff overhaul, the Atlanta Falcons entered Week 1 of the 2024 NFL campaign with heightened expectations. However, the Pittsburgh Steelers had other plans.

The Steelers prevailed in the "Arthur Smith revenge bowl," defeating the Falcons, their offensive coordinator's ex-employer. 

Pittsburgh blanked Atlanta in the second half of the Falcons' 18-10 loss in their regular-season/home opener. It was a low-scoring affair at Mercedes-Benz Stadium -- neither offense got much of anything going. 

Atlanta entered this season as the clear-cut team to beat in the NFC South, and the odds reflect that. So, their efforts on the gridiron versus the Steelers could ring some alarm bells.

Despite entering the contest as 4.5-point favorites, per FanDuel, the Falcons put up a stinker. You don't want to put too much stock into one game, but Atlanta fans must be scratching their heads after this one. Nonetheless, there's plenty of blame to go around after discouraging performance, and these two players rank chief among them.

2 Falcons to blame after inexcusable Week 1 loss

2. Drake London, WR

Four players finished with as many or more receiving yards than Falcons wide receiver Drake London. He caught two passes for a paltry 15 yards -- quite an uneventful afternoon -- to say the least.

The buzz surrounding London getting paired with a competent, professional and established veteran quarterback (who we'll discuss later) this offseason was palpable. Alas, that's ostensibly a work in progress based on their inability to connect more than twice for a long gain of eight yards.

Many forget London was the first wideout taken off the board of a stacked stable of pass-catchers in the 2022 NFL Draft class. He went ahead of standouts like Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave, though he's yet to produce like them.

London is supposed to be Atlanta's No. 1 option in the passing game. Instead, he failed to live up to the hype, as demonstrated by his 57.0 Pro Football Focus (PFF) receiving grade.

1. Kirk Cousins, QB

London not getting the job done is partly attributed to quarterback Kirk Cousins struggling immensely under center in his Falcons debut.

Cousins completed 16 of his 26 passes for 155 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Moreover, he took two sacks, losing 18 yards. Frankly, the box score looks better than the eye test.

PFF's evaluation gave Cousins a 53.8 passing grade. Atlanta averaged 4.9 yards per pass, well below the league average in 2023. But perhaps no stat is more emblematic of the four-time Pro Bowler's shortcomings against Pittsburgh than the Falcons' two-of-nine third-down efficiency rate. Not being able to move the chains and extend drives makes scoring, hence the 10-point outing. 

Undeniably, it was a poor showing from Cousins. Fans are already calling for 2024 first-round selection Michael Penix Jr. to usurp him. Yet, it's important to note that this marked the 36-year-old's return from rupturing his right Achilles this past October. 

Regardless of the circumstances, there's pressure on Cousins to succeed, considering the Falcons gave him $100 million in guaranteed money this offseason. If he can't right the ship quickly, Penix will continue lurking in the shadows.