ATLANTA, Ga. — The Falcons return to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday needing a turnaround, and the opponent standing in the way is Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Kickoff is at 1 p.m.
Atlanta is 3-6 and has dropped two straight, a 16-0 shutout at Tampa Bay followed by a 34-17 loss to Cincinnati in Madrid. Even so, the Falcons sit within half a game of the top of the NFC South, trailing Carolina and New Orleans. Kansas City arrives at 6-2, a half-game behind Denver in the AFC West.
This team has bounced back before. After an 0-2 start, Atlanta won at Green Bay on a Thursday night in Week 3, and after back-to-back losses in Weeks 5 and 6 it beat a then-unbeaten San Francisco at home.
The roster looks different this time. The Falcons traded All-Pro safety Jessie Bates to Jacksonville and starting center Ryan Neuzil to Baltimore at the deadline, released kicker Nick Folk this week and brought in Jake Moody from Baltimore’s practice squad to kick.
In Madrid, Michael Penix Jr. threw for 162 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Bijan Robinson ran for 100 yards and a score on 19 carries. Atlanta also hurt itself with 12 penalties for 88 yards.
Kansas City beat the Jets 35-12 last week, a game in which it scored the final 21 points. Mahomes threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns, both to running back Kenneth Walker III, who also ran for 102 yards. Mahomes briefly left that game with an arm injury after a strip-sack before returning, so his status is worth watching before kickoff.
Fans in the Atlanta market can stream the game on NFL+ and Paramount+, and local radio coverage is on 92.9 The Game.
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