Falcons Players React to Boos from Hometown Fans

ATLANTA – The Atlanta Falcons were embarrassed by the Carolina Panthers in Week 2, their fourth straight loss to their division rivals.

Cooper Rush and the offense struggled again, managing just three points in the lopsided 31-point loss. Through three quarters, the third-string quarterback turned the ball over three times, including on each of the Falcons’ two opening drives, for the first time since 2007.

Fans liberally voiced their displeasure with the team throughout the game, booing the home team on several different occasions. Chants of “We want Strand” echoed throughout Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday, and they soon got what they wanted.

After Rush’s third turnover of the game, Jack Strand led the offense out onto the field. Fans erupted in boisterous applause, but the results were not exactly what they had hoped for. The rookie handed the ball off twice, but his first regular-season NFL pass bounced off Jahan Dotson's hands and into linebacker Devin Lloyd's arms. He returned the interception 16 yards for the touchdown, and whatever spark remained was quickly snuffed out.

The fans got what they wanted. Unfortunately for the Falcons, it didn't change anything.

“We gotta go out there and make plays, regardless [of who is playing quarterback],” wide receiver Drake London said. “We’re all in the league for a reason. We’re all good football players. I don’t care if you’re fourth-string or you’re the starter. We’ve gotta go out there and play.”

The fans were understandably frustrated with what they were seeing, and the season is off to a disastrous start. The Falcons are 0-2. They remain the only team in the NFL that hasn't taken a single snap in the red zone, and they now have six turnovers through two games, tying for the franchise's second-most in its first two games of a season over the last 30 years.

Fans booed at every opportunity, and the Falcons heard them.

“I don’t blame them,” linebacker Divine Deablo said. “They came here to see us win games, and we’re not doing that right now, so we’ve got to step it up.”

“It sucks, but for me, I understand their frustration,” right guard Chris Lindstrom echoed. “They’re frustrated with us as players, and we’re frustrated. It’s our job, a part of the deal when you sign up to play on Sundays. You have this responsibility, but it doesn’t impact our performance going out there. It’s not a great feeling, but in the same sense, we know we need to be better.”

Defensively, the Falcons did everything they could to stay in the game, but their offensive ineptitude made it impossible to hold up for the full four quarters. Two of the Panthers’ first three possessions began deep in Atlanta territory, and the only one that didn’t came at midfield.

They held their own for most of the first half, but fell apart in the middle eight, allowing touchdown drives on the final possession of the second quarter and the first possession of the third.

The boos followed the team into the locker room.

Cornerback Mike Hughes said it has to go in one ear and out the other. “We’ve still got a job to do,” he said. “I get the frustration from the fans, but we still gotta put our heads down and work.”

London said hearing the boos gives him “more juice” to go out there and “prove everybody wrong.” He and the rest of this offense will get that chance on Thursday when they travel to Green Bay, desperate to flush this disastrous result and get this season back on track before it falls apart.

“This city is prideful,” safety Jessie Bates III said. “They want to win. This locker room understands that. This organization deserves to win. This city deserves to win. I understand their frustrations.”

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