ATLANTA – Heading into their Week 3 showdown on Sunday night, the Atlanta Falcons and visiting Kansas City Chiefs have already become well-acquainted with nail-biting finishes this season.
The two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs (2-0) squeaked past the Baltimore Ravens on opening night, 27-20, and relied on Harrison Butker’s clutch 51-yard field goal with just three seconds to spare for a game-tying victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday.
This Sunday, the Chiefs will make their first visit to Atlanta since 2016, squaring off against a Falcons team that narrowly avoided starting the season 0-2. After an uninspired offensive effort in their 18-10 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, the Falcons (1-1) achieved a desperate yet thrilling triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night, clinching a nail-biting 22-21 victory.
With less than two minutes on the clock and trailing by six points, Kirk Cousins galvanized the Falcons, orchestrating a rapid six-play, 70-yard drive. This victory marked Cousins’ first win with his new team after signing a staggering four-year, $180 million deal with Atlanta. Coach Raheem Morris, also celebrating his first victory as the Falcons’ head coach, acknowledged the unwavering confidence of his veteran quarterback.
“I know what that confidence looks like in practice. I know what his confidence looks like walking down the hall with him every day and watching his process,” Morris reflected. “I didn’t have to watch him before that series. Before the game, we said we were going to do this for each other, and that’s exactly what they did.”
Making their return to the national spotlight, the Falcons will be playing in their first “Sunday Night Football” game since 2019, hot on the heels of their first “Monday Night Football” appearance since 2020.
The Chiefs head into Sunday riding an eight-game winning streak (including playoffs) that dates back to last year’s Christmas Day loss to the Raiders. This streak faces a stiff test as Kansas City will be without their leader, Isiah Pacheco.
Pacheco, who sustained a fractured right fibula in Sunday’s win, will be sidelined indefinitely. In his absence, the Chiefs have turned to former running back Kareem Hunt, who amassed 2,151 rushing yards with Kansas City from 2017 to 2018. Hunt has since served primarily as a backup for Cleveland from 2019 to last season.
Pacheco has been a critical part of the offense, rushing for 135 yards and a touchdown this season. But the Chiefs appear poised and ready for their rare trip to Atlanta.
“I’m looking forward to the Falcons,” Reid said. “They have a great atmosphere in their stadium. Raheem did a great job with that group, which was evident Monday night. Between Jimmy (Lake), Zac (Robinson), and Marquice (Williams), they have great coordinators. We need a good week of practice starting today, and our guys are excited for the challenge of playing a talented football team like this.”
Three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes aims to bounce back from an unusually subpar performance. Despite throwing a pair of touchdowns against Cincinnati, he was intercepted twice, and his 151 passing yards were his fewest since he managed only 76 against Denver on Oct. 17, 2019, where he also sustained a dislocated kneecap.
In their head-to-head series, Kansas City holds a commanding 7-3 lead over Atlanta. The Falcons are eager for their first win over the Chiefs since Week 1 of the 2012 season.
As for injuries, all Chiefs players were full participants in Wednesday’s practice, while the Falcons had four players limited: running back Tyler Allgeier, cornerback Antonio Hamilton Sr., and defensive linemen James Smith-Williams and Ta’Quon Graham.
–Jack Batten, field level support
