The Falcons got off to a slow start during Sunday’s loss to the Bucs, and just like that, the momentum this team had coming into the week is gone.
It was the type of effort that got Atlanta off to a 1-7 start in the first place. The offense sputtered, the defense got exposed and Dan Quinn’s seat got considerably hotter after cooling off a bit since the bye week.
Here are three takeaways from the Falcons’ crushing Week 12 loss.
Secondary was outmatched
Things looked good early on as the Falcons picked off Jameis Winston twice in the first half. Winston would rebound though and find Chris Godwin wide open for the rest of the afternoon. He would throw for 313 yards and three touchdowns, with two interceptions. While the pressure wasn’t as good as it had been over the previous two weeks, Atlanta’s secondary looked out of position for much of the day. Godwin and Mike Evans combined for 243 yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches. In fairness to the Falcons’ defensive backs, Evans and Godwin are two of the best receivers in all of football.