The Falcons are now 0-5 after Sunday’s 23-16 loss to the Carolina Panthers (3-2). Here’s a quick recap of the Atlanta’s offensive, defensive and special-team performances from the team’s fifth-straight loss.
OFFENSE
Offensively, the Falcons were led by RB Todd Gurley, who posted his first 100-yard rushing game since joining the team during the offseason. He finished with 121 yards on 14 carries and a 35-yard touchdown run.
Matt Ryan made a critical mistake in the fourth quarter, throwing a red-zone interception when Atlanta could have tied the game with a touchdown. For the game, Ryan was 21-of-37 for 226 yards, and an interception. It was the Falcons quarterback’s second-straight game without a touchdown.
Calvin Ridley put up a gutsy performance despite clearly not being 100 percent. Ridley finished with eight catches for 136 yards. The team missed Julio Jones and the receivers had a tough time finding space against a stingy Carolina defense.
DEFENSE
The Falcons continue to get burned in the secondary, regardless of who’s out there. Isaiah Oliver had another rough day, missing a tackle on D.J. Moore that turned a short completion into a 57-yard touchdown. While Atlanta got some good pressure on Teddy Bridgewater early in the game, both starting ends Dante Fowler Jr. and Takk McKinley left with injuries.
Foye Oluokun continues to be one of the team’s lone bright spots on defense. He led Atlanta with 12 tackles and was generally one of the first defenders to the ball. His instinctive play and consistent improvement is one good thing to come out of this season, regardless of how bad things may get.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Younghoe Koo returned and looked to be nearly 100 percent after a groin injury held him out of Week 4. Koo finished 3-for-3, with a 46-yarder, a 54-yarder and one extra point.
Rookie punter Sterling Hofrichter averaged 46.3 yards per punt, with two pinned inside the Panthers’ 20 yard line. WR Brandon Powell averaged 23.5 yards on two kick returns.
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