The Atlanta Falcons suffered a humiliating 38-6 loss to the Denver Broncos on Sunday, leaving safety Justin Simmons visibly frustrated with his team’s lack of execution. The loss exposed significant flaws in Atlanta’s game plan and execution on both sides of the ball. The Falcons entered the game ranked fourth in the league in total offense, averaging 375.1 yards per game, but were held to a season-low 226 yards.
“I’m disappointed in our lack of execution,” and adding, “You can’t play like that and expect to win.” via Terrin Waack on X, formerly Twitter.
Denver’s defense dominated from start to finish, effectively neutralizing Atlanta’s rushing attack and limiting star running back Bijan Robinson to just 35 yards on 12 carries. Quarterback Kirk Cousins, meanwhile, managed only 173 yards passing with an interception before being benched in the fourth quarter.
The Broncos wasted no time asserting their dominance. Rookie quarterback Bo Nix turned in the best performance of his young career, throwing for 307 yards and four touchdowns while completing 28 of 33 passes. Nix exploited Atlanta’s 28th-ranked pass defense with ease, delivering scoring strikes to four different players, including a 41-yard bomb to Lil’Jordan Humphrey in the fourth quarter that punctuated the blowout win.
Falcons look to bounce back after blowout loss
Denver’s offense clicked from the outset. A first-quarter play-action touchdown pass from Nix to tight end Nate Adkins gave the Broncos an early lead, and a bruising 14-yard touchdown run by Javonte Williams extended the advantage to 14-0. By halftime, Denver led 21-6 after Nix connected with Marvin Mims Jr. on a screen pass that went for a touchdown. The Broncos continued to pour it on in the second half, with Troy Franklin and Humphrey adding to the scoreboard.
The Falcons, meanwhile, struggled to find answers. After an early 68-yard scoring drive ended in a field goal, Atlanta’s offense sputtered for the rest of the game. Turnovers, penalties, and missed assignments plagued the Falcons, leaving Simmons and the defense on the field for extended stretches. Even when rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. replaced Cousins in the fourth quarter, the offense failed to generate momentum, with both of Penix’s drives ending without points.
The Falcons now heads into its bye week with a 6-5 record and plenty of questions about its ability to compete against playoff-caliber teams. Despite showing promise earlier in the season, Sunday’s performance was a stark reminder of the team’s shortcomings. Head coach Arthur Smith and his staff will need to address these issues quickly, as the Falcons face a tough matchup against the Chargers in Week 13.
