After a 16-0 shellacking by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, the team sits at 3-5. They lost the tiebreaker to both the Carolina Panthers and the Buccaneers. The situation prompts scrutiny of the 2027 NFL Draft class. Sports Illustrated reports the Falcons hold the No. 13 pick in the upcoming draft.
The Run Defense Is Broken
Atlanta entered Week 8 ranked fourth in the league against the run. They allowed just 88.9 yards, per reports. The Buccaneers erased that stat in one afternoon. Tampa Bay rushed for a franchise record 324 yards. They did this while Baker Mayfield threw three passes. Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell both set career highs. The Falcons gave up 188.3 yards per game over the last four contests. That trend started in Week 5 against Baltimore. Safety Jessie Bates III knows the other teams are watching this weakness. “We’re gonna see these same runs. We’re gonna see these same gap schemes. People are going to load the box. They feel like that’s going to be the answer to beat us,” Bates said. He also noted the team failed to bring the hard hat. “You gotta bring your hard hat and be able to stop the run, and like I said, we didn’t do that,” Bates added.
Three Needs That Cannot Wait
General Manager Ian Cunningham has a full allotment of picks, but he cannot waste them. Offensive tackle is the biggest need. Left tackle Jake Matthews is 34 years old and showing signs of slowing down. Right tackle Jawaan Taylor is on a one-year deal that expires after this season. Cornerback is the next priority. The team drafted Avieon Terrell, but he has struggled to stay healthy. Nickel back Billy Bowman Jr. has only played 10 of 25 games since his 2025 draft. Wide receiver rounds out the top three needs. Drake London is the clear number one, but the depth behind him is thin.
Quarterback remains the wild card in this equation. Michael Penix Jr. needs to prove he can be the long-term answer. He threw four interceptions in Tampa. If he stays healthy and plays better, the Falcons can move on from the position. If not, the No. 13 pick becomes a quarterback selection. The roster moves show the front office is trying to fix the pass rush. James Pearce Jr. returns from an eight-game suspension. But the team lost Samson Ebukam and Zachariah Branch to hamstring injuries. “Samson Ebukam, Zachariah Branch have hamstring injuries,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday. “That’s going to keep them out of this game. Not sure, long term, how many games those types of injuries will be, but we’ll obviously treat those and then see how it goes over the next couple of weeks.” The team travels to Madrid to face the Cincinnati Bengals with these holes. Bates says the fix starts with preparation. “We just gotta be able to come in next week and be more prepared to stop the run and run the ball better,” Bates said.
