Falcons-Bengals position grades: Atlanta falls short in Madrid

MADRID — Sunday’s game in Madrid served as barometer for the Falcons to measure themselves against the Bengals, who entered as winners of three straight while boasting one of the league’s best offenses.

In front of a lively crowd at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, the Falcons didn’t stack up. The Falcons (3-6) suffered a 34-17 loss to the Bengals (6-2) at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

Here’s a look at how every position graded out in the Falcons’ loss, their fourth in the past five games.

Quarterback: C+

Michael Penix Jr. had an unspectacular bounceback after a disastrous four-interception performance last week in Tampa. He went 20-for-31 passing for 162 yards, one touchdown and one interception while adding a career-high 50 yards on the ground.

The Falcons’ offense went quiet behind Penix’s arm in the second quarter, while the Bengals created a gap that Atlanta ultimately never erased. Some good moments, but still plenty of room to grow.

Running back: B-

The Falcons placed Brian Robinson Jr. on injured reserve Saturday, meaning he’ll miss at least the next four weeks with a hamstring injury, and they continue to miss his presence. It’s the Bijan Robinson show with an occasional sprinkle of Khalil Herbert.

Bijan Robinson rushed 19 times for 100 yards and caught six passes for 47 yards. Herbert added one carry for seven yards and two grabs for two yards. Aided by Penix’s legs, the Falcons finished with 157 rushing yards.

Wide receiver: C

None of the Falcons’ pass-catchers met the same heights as Bengals receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, but Drake London still had a decent day. He caught five passes for 68 yards. The Falcons need more around him. Jahan Dotson added two receptions for 16 yards and committed an illegal shift penalty that took away a first down.

Tight end: B

In his 107th NFL game, Charlie Woerner caught his first touchdown pass to open the score in Madrid. It was a long time coming for Woerner and a feel-good moment on a day without many for the Falcons. Kyle Pitts had a pair of medium-sized gains negated and finished with three catches for 23 yards.

Offensive line: B

Flags were an issue. Left guard Matthew Bergeron committed two penalties in the red zone. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor committed two of his own, including one in the red area. Otherwise, the Falcons’ offensive line did a fine job protecting Penix, who didn’t get hit or sacked, and created a handful of good lanes in the run game.

Defensive line: B

The Falcons wanted to make Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow uncomfortable in the pocket. Their aspirations didn’t happen often enough. They hit Burrow six times and sacked him twice. The Bengals, who entered with the NFL’s third-worst run game, were plenty efficient on the ground, too, taking 24 carries for 123 yards.

Linebacker: C-

The Falcons used Divine Deablo and rookies Kendal Daniels and Harold Perkins Jr. in the middle of their defense. Deablo has a significant brace on his right hand but gutted through it. That deserves credit. All told, the group allowed too many completions over the middle in zone coverage and didn’t make enough plays against the run, either.

Cornerback: D+

A.J. Terrell gave up two touchdowns in the first half — he was beat over the top by Chase for a 47-yard touchdown, then gave up a four-yard score to receiver Tee Higgins in the front right corner of the end zone — then held serve in the second half. Avieon Terrell saw brief snaps at field corner, but C.J. Henderson started and dominated the rep count. Henderson gave up a touchdown, too. Tough day.

The Falcons gave up 271 passing yards to Burrow, and Chase and Tee Higgins largely did whatever they wanted. All told, a dismal day for Atlanta’s secondary.

Safety: B-

For the second consecutive week, Jessie Bates III was one of the few bright spots. He was busy cleaning up missed tackles and celebrating his teammates when good moments occurred. Oh, and he finished with a team-high 14 tackles, too. He’s the Falcons’ best defender and it may not be close.

Xavier Watts didn’t have quite as good of a day. The Bengals stonewalled him on an early blitz and, like Terrell, was late getting back on Chase’s deep-ball touchdown.

Special teams: C-

The Falcons had plenty of chances to return kickoffs. That’s a negative. The positive is that Herbert hit a few solid gains and gave the team more life in the return game than it’s shown in recent weeks.