5 takeaways from Falcons’ 34-17 loss to Cincinnati Bengals

November 8, 2026

The Atlanta Falcons were heavy underdogs going into their Week 9 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and the oddsmakers clearly got it right after Sunday’s 34-17 loss in Madrid, Spain. Now sitting at 3-6, the future suddenly doesn’t look as bright in Atlanta.

Right when the Falcons offense finally got things going in the right direction, the defense turned in their worst performance of the year – routinely getting cooked by Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins.

Atlanta trailed by 14 points at halftime but got within a touchdown after strong start in the third quarter. Ultimately, the Falcons failed to show up for four all quarters and beating a good team like Cincinnati requires intense focus for 60 minutes.

While Atlanta is still alive in the NFC South, the team hasn’t shown enough consistency to seriously contend for a playoff spot. Here are five takeaways from the Falcons’ 34-17 loss to the Bengals in Madrid, Spain.

Falcons defense had no answer for Burrow, Bengals offense

The Falcons gave up 24 first-half points to the Bengals, including 239 yards to Joe Burrow and 142 receiving yards to Ja’Marr Chase (career-high receiving yards in a first half). A.J. Terrell had a rough day trying to slow down Chase and Tee Higgins. Chase burned Terrell for a first-quarter touchdown pass just minutes after the Falcons had taken a 7-0 lead.

Atlanta didn’t get enough pressure on Burrow, and when they did, the QB made quick reads and precision throws. Cincinnati went 6/10 on third-down attempts and didn’t punt the ball until the third quarter. In fairness to the Falcons defense, most teams have struggled to slow down the Bengals this season. It’s just disappointing that this unit wasn’t able to play better considering how well they performed against the San Francisco 49ers just two weeks ago.

Burrow finished 271 passing yards, four touchdowns (one rushing TD) and a passer rating 140.1. The Bengals also rushed for 123 yards on 23 carries (5.1 yards per carry).

Penalties, penalties, penalties

If the Falcons had any chance on Sunday, they needed to play clean, mistake-free football – and that just didn’t happen. Atlanta committed 12 total penalties for a combined 88 yards on Sunday. Whether it was an untimely false start in the red zone, a holding penalty after a big gain, or multiple illegal shits on offense, the execution was piss poor all game long. Even a nice return from Khalil Herbert was brought back by a Falcons penalty.

Obviously, penalties are always going to happen in a game played by humans, but the Falcons just weren’t as locked in as they needed to be on Sunday.

Falcons offense bounced back but still fell short

The Falcons offense put up a touchdown on its opening drive and added a field goal on the second drive. While this isn’t worth throwing a parade over, it was a drastic improvement from what we saw last week. Michael Penix Jr. bounced back and made some plays with his legs, racking up a career-high 50 rushing yards in Week 9. Penix missed on a few key throws and had a late interception, but unlike last week, he wasn’t the reason that the team lost.

Bijan Robinson also bounced back on Sunday, rushing for 100 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. Robinson added six catches for 47 receiving yards to finish second on the team behind Drake London. Overall, the Falcons were out-gained 389-310 in total yardage.

At 3-6, the Falcons may be sellers at NFL trade deadline

The Falcons are 3-6 at the NFL trade deadline, and while we don’t think they will unload any members of their young core, we wouldn’t be surprised if the team makes a few moves. Safety Jessie Bates III has been playing out of his mind, and since Atlanta likely isn’t going anywhere this season, we could see the team at least exploring a trade.

Bates is in the final year of his contract and is arguably the best playmaking safety in the NFL. If the price is right, the Falcons need to at least listen. Bates led the team with 14 tackles (11 solo) in Week 9.

NFC South standings: Falcons drop to 3rd place

Carolina Panthers (3-4)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-5)
Atlanta Falcons (3-6)
New Orleans Saints (2-5)

The Falcons fell a half-game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South standings after Sunday’s loss and now sit in third place. The Carolina Panthers are still in first place at 3-4, and they would help themselves out quite a bit with a win over the Denver Broncos this afternoon. Somehow, the New Orleans Saints are still in the mix at 2-5. The NFC South is the worst division in football, so all teams are essentially still alive.

What’s next for the Falcons?

Things will only get tougher for the Falcons next Sunday, as they host the Kansas City Chiefs in NFL Week 10. The Chiefs have found new life with running back Kenneth Walker leading the charger on offense. Patrick Mahomes suffered an arm injury on Sunday but he appears to be playing through it. Kansas City has lost just two games this season. Sunday’s game starts at 1 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

1 / 57

Falcons vs. Bengals: Best photos from Week 9 matchup in Madrid

Football – NFL – Atlanta Falcons v Cincinnati Bengals – Estadio Bernabeu, Madrid, Spain – November 8, 2026 General view of the NFL logo seen outside the stadium before the match REUTERS/Ana Beltran

(Ana Beltran, REUTERS)