Falcons waste another Bijan masterclass in a loss

The Atlanta Falcons continue to disappoint their fans and waste stellar individual performances. It’s been a recurring theme of the season and one fans are sick of. Here’s the Week 13, 3 up and 3 down:

The Falcons won’t have their 2026 first-round pick, but James Pearce Jr. is making a strong case to justify the trade up that landed him in Atlanta. The rookie has a sack in four straight games and is starting to create his own opportunities and not just clean up others’. Pearce is beginning to consistently display his pass rush ability and is becoming a familiar face in the backfield. If he maintains this level of play over the final five games, he should be in the Defensive Rookie of the Year talks.

Pitts had a season high 82 yards and was Kirk Cousins’ most reliable option during the drizzly afternoon game. The tight end was able to stretch the field and even put his head down to drive a pile of tacklers. It’s been a quiet year for Pitts, but he’s still top 10 in both yards and receptions among all tight ends.

Pitts will never live up to his draft selection, but he’s still a serviceable player. It’s hard to say what will happen between Pitts and the Falcons after 2025, but a reset would likely be best for both parties.

Bijan had his fourth game of over 150 scrimmage yards, the most of any player this season. The running back also averaged over 6.2 yards per carry for the third time this year. Robinson has been the do-it-all superstar the team has hoped for, and his numbers would be even more gaudy this season if it weren’t for his offensive coordinator and depleted offensive line. Performances like these should be rewarded with a win, but this one was unfortunately spoiled.

The worst unit in the league put on one of its worst performances of the year. The group is so bad that the Falcons’ plan for most of the afternoon was to just kick the ball out of the end zone and give the Jets the ball at the 35. When Atlanta finally gave the Jets a chance to return the ball (a decision that makes no sense considering their previous approach was “working”), the result was an 80-yard romp. Add in Jamal Agnew’s muffed punt, and that’s 10 points the unit gave away.

When asked why special teams ace and Pro Bowler KhaDarel Hodge was a healthy scratch, apparently, it was because of some mistakes made against the Saints, and the team wanted a spark. Unfortunately, that spark produced a cataclysmic implosion.

Robinson’s offense has struggled on 3rd down all season, and they finished 4/12 against the Jets, which lines up with their season average of 33%. The Falcons offense becomes dysfunctional in these must-have situations, and ZRob shoulders most of the blame. Robinson is grasping at straws, and the group has become boom-or-bust whenever it faces even an ounce of adversity. The Falcons needed Robinson to take a step as a play caller this year, but he’s failed to do so.

“Stats are for losers,” and that’s what Morris’ 4-8 Falcons are. This team has failed to find a way all season; they’re 2-6 since the bye week, and they have a 4% chance to make the playoffs at the start of December. Calling this season a failure would be generous, and all the team has left to play for is pride. Morris made this mess, and it’s hard to rationalize a return for him in 2025. He’s been outcoached in nearly every game since his arrival and has failed to deliver a winning product.

It’s been a rough season, and there are still five games to go. The Falcons will have their hands full with a dominant Seahawks team next week.