ATLANTA (AP) — Another slow start to a game has left the Atlanta Falcons with an urgent need to reverse their slow start to the season.
asserted
start → leave → season
Two straight losses have left the Falcons (2-4) two games under .500.
asserted
losses → leave → .500
It’s a familiar challenge for a team looking to end a streak of eight straight losing seasons.
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It → ’ → seasons
The Falcons trailed 14-0 in Sunday’s 31-23 loss to the Chicago Bears before recording a first down.
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Falcons → trail → down
They opened the game with two straight three-and-outs following long touchdown drives by the Bears.
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They → open → Bears
Chicago dominated the first quarter the way Bears fans took over Atlanta’s home stadium.
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fans → dominate → stadium
“Certainly our goal as a team is to start fast,” coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday.
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Stefanski → start → team
Responsibility for failing to come close to that goal fell equally on the offense and defense.
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Responsibility → fail → offense
The Falcons’ defense couldn’t slow quarterback Caleb Williams and the Bears’ offense.
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defense → slow → Williams
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. led only one scoring drive in the first half and the Falcons trailed 31-7 before finally demonstrating offensive potential while running their two-minute offense in the fourth quarter.
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Falcons → lead → quarter
For most of the game, Penix struggled against pressure from the Bears, failing to take advantage of opportunities created by blitzes.
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Penix → struggle → blitzes
Penix was sacked five times and fumbled twice, losing one.
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Penix → sack → one
Stefanski knows other teams will take note of the Bears’ game plan on defense.
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teams → know → defense
“I think the name of the game in the NFL is when they pressure you as an offense, you have to make them pay,” Stefanski said.
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Stefanski → think → offense
“We didn’t do that enough yesterday and that’s on all of us. ...
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that → do → us
You have to look at those as an opportunity if teams are going to all-out blitz you in a given game.
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teams → have → game
So we know this league can be a copycat league.
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league → know → ?
So you’ll see if that continues to be the trend.”
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that → see → ?
Penix missed the first two games of the season while completing his recovery from a torn ACL in his left knee that ended his 2025 season.
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that → miss → season
The Falcons were 0-2 with Cooper Rush as the fill-in starter.
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Falcons → fill → starter
Rush was released on Monday, when the Falcons signed veteran Andy Dalton.
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Falcons → release → Dalton
Tua Tagovailoa is expected to keep his job as Penix’s backup, at least for this week as Dalton learns the system.
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Dalton → expect → system
Rookie Jack Strand’s role as a developmental player won’t change as long as the Falcons keep four quarterbacks.
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Falcons → change → quarterbacks
What’s working
Atlanta’s fourth-quarter comeback attempt allowed tight end Kyle Pitts to show why he should have been better utilized earlier in the game.
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he → work → game
Pitts had scoring catches of 10 and 5 yards in the final quarter.
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Pitts → have → quarter
He had five catches for 60 yards and has a combined three scoring receptions in the last two games after having none in the first four.
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He → have → four
What needs help
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needs → need → help
Rookie Zachariah Branch lost two fumbles on returns.
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Branch → lose → returns
He misjudged a fair catch attempt on a second-quarter punt and fumbled a kickoff return late in the third quarter.
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He → misjudge → quarter
Branch had a catch for a 2-point conversion in the final quarter.
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Branch → have → quarter
Cornerback A.J. Terrell, who was placed on injured reserve following a groin injury in the first quarter of a 34-3 home loss to Carolina in Week 2, is eligible to return this week after missing four games.
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who → place → games
“It’s trending that way, but let’s get through the next couple of days,” Stefanski said when asked about Terrell playing this week.
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Terrell → trend → days
The return of Terrell, the older brother of rookie nickel back Avieon Terrell, would be a big boost after the Falcons gave up 305 passing yards to Williams.
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Falcons → give → Williams
Bijan Robinson had 16 or more carries in each of the first five games and entered the weekend leading the NFL with 580 rushing yards.
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Robinson → have → yards
Thanks to the big early deficit, the Falcons couldn’t maintain their normal commitment to the running game and Robinson had season-low totals of nine carries for 61 yards.
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Robinson → maintain → yards
Rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels was at the team practice facility on Monday after he left the field on a stretcher with a neck injury in the third quarter on Sunday.
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he → leave → Sunday
Stefanski said it was too early to project Daniels’ status for this week but said he was grateful for “all positive news.”
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he → say → news
The Falcons announced Sunday that Daniels was alert and had movement in all his extremities.
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Daniels → announce → extremities
After being taken to a hospital for further evaluation, he returned to the locker room after the game.
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he → take → game
“So I feel very, very fortunate that he got the treatment he got,” Stefanski said.
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Stefanski → feel → treatment
…and 6 more, not listed.
The Aporia
