How Far did Atlanta Falcons Fall in NFL.com Power Rankings?

The Atlanta Falcons had a poor showing against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and they predictably took a tumble in Week 2 NFL.com Power Rankings.

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt harassed Atlanta Falcons quarterback all day on Sunday. / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons lost 18-10 against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, and they looked bad doing it. A predictable offensive scheme led to just 51 yards of offense in the second half as Kirk Cousins tried to work his way back to form with a new team and an unfamiliar formation.

After losing as favorites at home to an undermanned Steelers team, it was inevitable that the Falcons would fall in the latest NFL.com Power Rankings. They were tied with two other teams as the biggest losers of the week as Atlanta fell four spots from No. 19 to No. 23.

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"It was a rough debut for Kirk Cousins and the shiny new Falcons offense that looked eerily similar to last year's dull model," wrote Eric Edholm on NFL.com. "The pistol stuff was new, but the results were straight out of 2023. Cousins attempted 26 passes, with just six of them directed toward Drake London or Kyle Pitts, and he was picked twice.

"Bijan Robinson was fine, but couldn’t make many game-changing plays. Tyler Allgeier ripped off a pretty 13-yard run two minutes into the game then didn’t see the ball again until the mid-third quarter. And that Falcons offensive line -- isn’t it supposed to be a team strength? Atlanta had little chance of slowing down T.J. Watt, and the interior three for the Falcons seemed to get pushed back quite a bit.

"Both of Cousins’s INTs came against heavy pressure. It’s back to the drawing board for Raheem Morris and new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, with a tough game at Philly on tap next Monday night."

Four was a common theme on the Week 2 Power Rankings. The Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals joined the Falcons as the biggest losers with four-spot drops to No. 18 and No. 10 respectively.

The biggest risers each moved up four spots, and in what's bad news for the Falcons, two of them are division rivals. Tampa Bay (No. 16), New Orleans (No. 24), and the New England Patriots (No. 27) were the highest risers.

Finally, the Falcons take on the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football in their Week 2 matchup. The Eagles are ranked - you guessed it - No. 4 on the power rankings.

The Falcons schedule is front loaded with the Steelers, Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, each a playoff teams in 2023. Plus they host the New Orleans Saints, never an easy game no matter the state of the teams.

An 0-5 start isn't completely out of the question if Atlanta doesn't figure out how to use their new $100-million quarterback. ESPN's Dan Orlovsky referred to the Falcons' scheme in Week 1 as "a complete joke."

It's a long season, and the Falcons have plenty of talent to survive a slow start to the season and still make a playoff run. However, there have to be some positive signs for the offense this week against the Philadelphia Eagles.