Falcons Embarrassing Loss to Seahawks Happened at Line of Scrimmage

The Seattle Seahawks dominanted the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball versus the Atlanta Falcons, which resulted in a lopsided loss for the home team.

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe (53) hits Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Week 7 was an opportunity for the Atlanta Falcons to build some momentum with its pass rush. Only three teams had allowed more sacks per game than the Seattle Seahawks before Sunday, and the Seahawks were starting a backup right tackle.

But the opportunity didn't work out for the Falcons. What's worse, they struggled at the point of attack on offense as well. As a result, the Falcons suffered their most disheartening loss of the season with a 34-14 defeat at home versus the Seahawks.

At times, the Falcons pass rush seemed a little better in Week 7 than it's been. But that might say more for how low expectations have falled for the group over this season, and quite frankly, the last several years.

The Falcons recorded 1 sack and 6 quarterback hits against Geno Smith on Sunday. But when Smith needed a big play, he escaped any pressure the Falcons generated and created a big play.

At a key juncture in the third quarter, Falcons defensive lineman Demone Harris got to Smith too late and aimed too low. The officials called Harris for a 15-yard penalty, which gave the Seahawks a first down after an incompletion on third-and-5.

Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker was in the end zone one play later.

There were other chances for the Falcons to put better pressure on Smith. But that sequence gave the Seahawks back their 10-point lead. Atlanta wouldn't move back within a one score of Seattle again the rest of the afternoon.

Pressure on Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, though, officially sealed the victory for the Seahawks. With the Falcons in Seattle territory trying to cut into the 10-point deficit early in the fourth quarter, linebacker Boye Mafe nailed Cousins just before his arm went forward with the ball. The play led to a fumble, which linebacker Derick Hall scooped up and ran back for a touchdown.

The Seahawks generated 3 sacks and 9 quarterback hits versus Cousins in Week 7. The Falcons dealt with some offensive line injuries during the game, as center Ryan Neuzil and left guard Matthew Bergeron both exited.

But it was still an embarrassing afternoon from both lines. Those units, especially on offense, looked more like they did at the end of the Matt Ryan era than anything from early this season.

The good news is the offensive line is likely to rebound. The solutions for that unit, which also committed four false start penalties, is in the building.

The bad news, though, is the solution for the defensive line is probably not. The Falcons can help themselves with a more aggressive defensive scheme featuring at least three defensive linemen on the field. But the Falcons are proving again in 2024 that they simply don't have the elite edge rusher they need to create consistent pressure.

"We've got to hit the quarterback in a timely fashion," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said during his postgame press conference. "We've got to get him on the ground when we send people. We can't let him scramble around, do some of those things.

"We've got to go back and find a way to fix it."

That's a problem even when the offense is clicking. So, pundits should connect the Falcons in plenty of more trade rumors with edge rushers before the team visits the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a pivotal NFC South matchup next Sunday.