The Atlanta Falcons moved to 1-2 late last night after losing to the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Atlanta went into halftime with a 14-10 lead.

Unfortunately, injuries and self-inflicted wounds (deserved and undeserved) were too much for the team to overcome.

Kirk Cousins ​​is back

The confidence from the second half of the Eagles game lingered and the mental rust seems to have worn off. Cousins ​​was decisive with his throws, moved through his reads and executed the passing game at a different and more consistent pace than we had seen before. While the team fell short tonight, it wasn’t Cousins’ fault.

Unfortunately, the team had to overcome the aforementioned self-inflicted wounds and injuries. The offense did a great job of moving the ball again in the second half, and it was encouraging to see how Cousins ​​stayed in the pocket and kept throwing despite the pressure and hard hits he was taking.

Injuries took the wind out of the sails, but did not sink the ship

The Falcons lost center Drew Dalman and right tackle Kaleb McGary in the second quarter, and the dynamic of the offense completely changed. The Falcons had done a good job of protecting Cousins ​​and moving the ball against a talented Chiefs defense, but unfortunately, injuries were tough to overcome.

Atlanta finally built some chemistry in the fourth quarter and started moving the ball again, despite only scoring three points. The outside zone scheme couldn’t recover from the loss of two integral linemen, and the Falcons lost their running game on fourth and inches. The strong finish made me feel better, but hopefully the injuries are short-lived.

Chiefs’ run game undermines solid defensive start

The Falcons defense had a solid first half, giving up just 10 points and coming up with some clutch stops. With the team’s offense getting off the field less and less, the Chiefs’ run game took its toll. In the second half, Kansas City was able to control the clock and run the field against this defense, which is becoming a worrying issue. The interior defense isn’t as formidable against the run as initially hoped.

The Chiefs had their interior trio moving all night. Kentavious Street, Eddie Goldman and others have played over some of the youngsters on this roster, and it may be time to turn things around. The defense still gave the offense a chance to win and made key plays throughout the second half, but they’ll have to find a way to stop the run.

Civil servants were too involved

Complaining about the referees stinks, but after tonight it’s too hard to look the other way. I expect the face of the competition to turn their way a few times; that’s part of it. In the first half of the game, both teams had a few. The second half was a different story.

The Falcons are robbed of a defensive pass interference call in the endzone with three minutes left. The broadcast was also courteous enough to show some highlight reel of Lorenzo Carter and Arnold Ebeketie getting some hands in their faces/facemasks. Penalties are a part of the game, and Atlanta has earned its fair share of them, but you never want to feel like you’re waiting for your next bad call, and that was the product tonight.

This team can compete with the best

The Falcons lost tonight, but they proved for the second week in a row that every game is within reach. Atlanta had to overcome serious injuries, tough competition, and poor refereeing tonight, and they almost pulled it off. In the grand scheme of things, this game doesn’t hold much weight, as both the division and the playoffs are still within reach. Atlanta needs to get McGary and Dalman back quickly for this season to be fruitful.

Falcons fans have a real team this year. They may not be perfect, but they can beat anyone.