Take 5: Five quick takeaways from the Falcons’ loss to the Panthers

Not so much.

Here are some quick takeaways from the Falcons’ loss:

1. No offense, but ...: That’s it — no offense. The Falcons had a good possession to start the game, but aside from that, they didn’t generate very much of anything on the offensive side of the ball for the entire game. Michael Penix Jr. struggled mightily — with a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six — and things never got off the ground. The Falcons looked unorganized and made some head-scratching mistakes throughout the game that made them have empty possessions. It’s been a recurring theme throughout the season, and this is the biggest issue that needs to be resolved.
2. Cousins sighting: Things got so desperate for the Falcons that they went to backup quarterback Kirk Cousins as the lead ballooned to 27-0 in the fourth quarter. Yes, Penix had his problems, going 18-of-36 for 172 yards and the two interceptions, but there are a couple of options there — leave the young quarterback in to try to work his way out of the issues, or enter Cousins. Of course, having the veteran go into the game is going to bring about questions about the position. There’s no desperation that would cause the Falcons to put Cousins back in as starter, so this seems to be a moot point.
3. No pass rush: One of the big takeaways from last week’s win was the improved pass rush and the ability to get to the quarterback. That didn’t happen this week, with the defense only registering one sack. The Panthers’ offensive line was able to protect Bryce Young, who looked much more composed than Penix, and he was able to lead Carolina’s offense up and down the field.
4. The kicking question: The Falcons parted ways with Younghoe Koo on Friday, and the job was Parker Romo’s. That move made sense following Romo’s 5-for-5 performance last week against the Vikings. That seems so long ago now. On the first drive, Romo had a chance at a 49-yard field goal, which missed wide right, and he later had an opportunity at a 55-yarder, which missed wide left. The snap judgment would be to call those bad misses, but neither is a gimme.
5. What’s next?: It’ll be interesting to watch how the Falcons handle this adversity this week. There are no easy games in the NFL, and there will be plenty of questions and knee-jerk reactions coming away from this — and it doesn’t help that the Washington Commanders are next on the schedule. There are some issues that need to be addressed, but this isn’t a referendum on Penix or time to go find another kicker. Flush this one and move on.