Dirty Birds Dispatch: Live from Madrid

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MADRID — Hola! ¿Cómo estás? Buenos días.

That’s all the Spanish that Falcons safety Xavier Watts and receiver Jahan Dotson came up with. I’m not sure I’ve got much to add.

Anyway, the Falcons (3-5) landed in Spain on Wednesday and will spend the week abroad before facing the Cincinnati Bengals (5-2) at 9:30 a.m. EST on Sunday at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

The temperature was cold. Hoodie-and-sweatpants cold. Contemplate-buying-a-puffer cold. But it wasn’t raining. That was a welcome development for the Falcons, who trudged through a heavy downpour with violent winds en route to a 16-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last Sunday.

• Postcards from Madrid: Travels with Daniel
• Sugiura: Spain as good a place as any to recover

Tampa Bay rushed for 324 yards. Atlanta rushed for only 99. The Buccaneers won — dominated — the battle in the trenches. The Falcons recognized it. Now comes a chance, on a different continent, in a different time zone, against a different team, to wash the taste away.

“It was a weird game,” Watts said.
“The weather was crazy, and we just didn’t execute well. We didn’t play good at all. They took it to us. We couldn’t stop the run. It is what it is. We got to move on to this week.

“It’s a chip on our shoulder. So, coming back this week and proving that we’re better and improved from last week’s game.”

Playing at the Bernabeu, which has a retractable roof, the Falcons shouldn’t have to face the same challenges as last week in Raymond James Stadium.

But they’ll face a different task this week: beating a team that will most likely complete a forward pass. Laugh all you want, but the Buccaneers didn’t do it. Three attempts, zero completions, one win. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow is fourth in the NFL in passing yards. He’ll be difficult for the Falcons to slow down.

• Falcons enjoying their ‘business trip,’ too
• Where the NFC South stands entering Week 9

The Falcons are excited to play offense in a dry atmosphere, too. They led the NFL in scoring in quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s first five starts, averaging 31 points per game. To be shut out by Tampa Bay? Something of a shock to the system.

If nothing else, it gives the Falcons something to prove in Madrid.

“Offensively, we’re excited about getting back to who we are,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said.

Let’s dive into this week’s Dirty Birds Dispatch. Or, with help from our friends at Google Translate: Adentrémonos en el Dirty Birds Dispatch de esta semana.*

*Accuracy not guaranteed.

Penix’s no good, very bad day a thing of the past

There’s an age-old adage in football circles that film of a player or team is never as good, or bad, as it feels after the game. I’m not entirely certain Penix felt that way after watching his performance in Tampa Bay, where he went 8-for-24 passing for 125 yards, no touchdowns and a career-worst four interceptions.

New week, new country, new Penix? Not quite.

The Falcons — rightfully, I may add — believe last week was an anomaly. He went 144 consecutive passes without an interception. He’d thrown one in his previous 10 starts. To throw four in the span of 13 attempts, largely because of excessive rain and wind, is a mathematical improbability of great proportions.

• Penix’s uncharacteristic performance
• Branch, Ebukam ruled out vs. Bengals

And the Falcons don’t want Penix to change, because his personality is the reason he’s primed for a bounceback. He’s as even-keeled and level-headed as they come. Unflappable, as offensive coordinator Tommy Rees says. That projects well for burying the Tampa catastrophe.

“I have no doubt in my mind he’ll bounce back,” Dotson said.

Falcons’ run game has hit a wall

The Falcons’ first four games: averaging 181 rushing yards per game, second-best in the NFL; 724 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.

The Falcons’ past four games: Averaging 88.5 rushing yards per game; 354 yards and no touchdowns on the ground.

Running the ball is the Falcons’ self-proclaimed identity. Bijan Robinson says it often. So, too, does Rees. And Penix. And everybody else who plays, or coaches, for the team. It’s not a secret.

But the Falcons haven’t been able to lean on their identity over the past month, an uncomfortable realization and a key reason why the team has lost three of its past four games. For the Falcons to rediscover their best offensive form, they must first rediscover their rushing attack.

Sounds simple, is quite hard, but needs to happen.

Bengals’ passing attack a steep challenge

Looking for a silver lining from the Falcons’ loss to Tampa Bay? Their pass defense metrics were outstanding. Of course, they were tested only three times. Of course, it was wet. Of course, this was light-hearted.

There’s nothing light or easy about the battle facing the Falcons’ defense this week. The Bengals have perhaps the NFL’s best receiving tandem. Ja’Marr Chase dominates headlines, but Tee Higgins is second in the league with 726 receiving yards, while Chase ranks 18th with 429 yards.

• Higgins and Chase have both been targeted 61 times.
• They’ve both caught 43 passes.
• Together, they have more receiving yards than any other duo in the NFL.

“Usually, teams kind of have one No. 1 guy,” Watts said. “They have two.”

Watts said the Falcons view it as a “great opportunity” and will have different adjustments within their game plan, with hopes of slowing down Chase and Higgins.

“Just trying to find different ways to roll the coverage to them and take away their favorite things they like to do,” Watts said. “Just limit their explosive plays — they’re an explosive offense, so the theme on defense is just kind of limit the explosives and try to get takeaways and throw them off their rhythm.”

Pearce returns to the field

When the Falcons went through their walk-through Wednesday, outside linebacker James Pearce Jr. was present, participating fully in his first full-team session since training camp. He’s been around the team, be it working with the strength staff or meeting with Stefanski, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich or outside linebackers coach John Timu.

Stefanski said the Falcons have a strong idea of Pearce’s game shape, but the coach declined to put a specific snap-count range on the extent of Pearce’s action.

Pearce was suspended for the first eight games of the season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy after being charged with three felonies for an altercation with his ex-girlfriend, Rickea Jackson, on Feb. 7 in Miami. He’s currently in a trial diversion program, and if he passes with no hiccups, he’ll have the charges dropped next May.

The Falcons have largely stayed away from commenting on Pearce’s case, instead shifting the focus toward his on-field value. The 2025 first-round pick finished third in the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year race last season after posting a team-high 10½ sacks.

“We know the type of player he is,” Watts said. “Last year, he had a great year, and just excited for him to get back out there and kind of get his season rolling. He’s got fresh legs, so hopefully he’s out there getting the edge. Getting sacks is what he does. So, I think he’ll help the team for sure.”

Injury report

The Falcons held a light walk-through Wednesday. Thus, practice participation is an estimate.

Full participation

• DB Billy Bowman Jr. (hamstring)
• WR Beaux Collins (hip)
• DE James Pearce Jr. (not injury-related — other)
• OT Cameron Williams (ankle)

Limited participation

• LB Yasir Abdullah (hamstring)
• LB Divine Deablo (forearm)
• RB Brian Robinson Jr. (hamstring)

Did not participate

• WR Zachariah Branch (hamstring)

Robinson, Deablo and Bowman have missed the past two games. The Falcons have already ruled out Branch for this week, and they put outside linebacker Samson Ebukam on injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

What I’m looking forward to, Week 9 edition

This may be the easiest answer of the entire season. I’ve only left the American mainland once — last year, for an Indiana basketball trip to Puerto Rico in August — and the lone country I’ve visited is Canada, which was more a drive-through-to-shorten-the-distance situation than an actual tourist experience.