The Atlanta Falcons once again found themselves on the wrong side of the numbers in their Week 10 loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Atlanta’s offense faltered in crucial moments, going 0-for-8 on third downs and continuing a troubling trend that has seen the unit convert just 20% of its third-down attempts over the last several weeks. Following the unexpected loss, the Falcons’ head coach was brave enough to admit that their strength had now turned into a weakness.

Raheem Morris didn’t back down from pointing out the weaknesses that led to the team’s defeat against the Indianapolis Colts. Acknowledging the firm calls against their offensive coordinator, Zac Robinson, the 49-year-old blamed Michael Penix Jr. and the offensive team for the initial lead that later transformed into a saddening loss.

“You gotta get better. Something that was a strength for us has become a weakness over the last two weeks. You gotta find a way to convert third downs. You gotta get them shorter. You gotta get them more manageable. We gotta get them…,” he said.

The \Atlanta Falcons’ defeat turned out to be shocking for all as they looked in control early on. They built a halftime lead thanks to a solid output from both their running game and receivers. However, despite the high-momentum start, the offense lagged during key moments as the second half progressed.

The Falcons’ inability to sustain drives late proved costly. They went 0-for-8 on third-down conversions and held the ball for just 26 minutes compared with the Colts’ 40 minutes, while the Colts amassed 519 total yards to Atlanta’s 290. Ultimately, despite the early lead, Atlanta fell 31-25 in overtime, a defeat incurred largely due to the missed opportunities and failure to convert crucial opportunities.

Raheem Morris praises QB Michael Penix Jr. despite the Week 10 loss

After the tough 31–25 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin, the spotlight fell on what the Atlanta Falcons did wrong (especially on third downs and finishing drives). Despite the shortcomings, head coach Raheem Morris made a point of shining a light on Mike Penix’s performance. He highlighted that even though the outcome stung, the way Penix carried himself and commanded the offense gave him confidence in what the team has in its young quarterback.

“Our guys came out, fought well and played hard. Mike always plays well, always fights hard, along with all of those guys. So we’ve got to find a way to get better.” he said, as reported by Falconswire.

What stands out here is that Morris didn’t use the loss as a time to shift blame to his quarterback. Instead, he used it to regain his belief that Penix is the right guy moving forward. While the Falcons are still trying to find consistency, that kind of endorsement from the head coach matters.