ATLANTA — Ahead of their Week 3 matchup on Sunday night, the Atlanta Falcons and visiting Kansas City Chiefs have already grown accustomed to playing in evenly matched games this season.
The two-time defending Super Bowl Champion Chiefs (2-0) narrowly escaped the Baltimore Ravens on opening night, 27-20, before Harrison Butker’s 51-yard field goal with three seconds left saved the day in their one-point win over the Cincinnati Bengals last Sunday.
For the first time this season, the Chiefs hit the road as they visit Atlanta for the first time since 2016. They will face a Falcons team that was on the brink of hosting the mighty Chiefs with an 0-2 record. After an anemic offensive showing in an 18-10 home loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, the Falcons (1-1) stole a win in Philadelphia on Monday night, using a last-minute touchdown drive to beat the Eagles 22-21.
Trailing by six with 1:39 left, Kirk Cousins led the Falcons on a six-play, 70-yard game-winning drive, earning his first win for his new team following the signing of a four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta. Head coach Raheem Morris, who also secured his first win as the Falcons’ head coach, wasn’t surprised by the way his veteran quarterback led the final drive.
“I know what that confidence looks like from practice. I know what his confidence looks like from every day walking down the hall with him and watching his process,” Morris added. “I didn’t need to look at him before that drive. Before the game, we said we’re going to do it for each other and that’s exactly what they did.”
The Falcons, who have returned to a state of relevance after several years of national apathy, are coming off their first “Monday Night Football” appearance since 2020. Now they prepare for their first “Sunday Night Football” game since 2019.
The Chiefs have won eight straight games (including the playoffs) since last year’s Christmas Day loss to the Raiders. Kansas City’s win streak will be put to the test on Sunday without leading rusher Isiah Pacheco.
Pacheco’s leg was caught under a defender in Sunday’s win, fracturing his right fibula. In his absence, the Chiefs signed former running back Kareem Hunt, who rushed for 2,151 yards with the team from 2017-18. Hunt had been in a primarily backup role with Cleveland from 2019 through last season.
“(Pacheco’s) been put on IR, he’s having surgery today,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Wednesday. “I can’t give you a time when he’s going to return. We’ll see if it’s this season or next season.”
Pacheco has run for 135 yards and a touchdown this season.
Turning the page to Sunday, Reid and company sound ready for their rare trip to Atlanta.
“Looking forward to the challenge of playing the Falcons,” Reid said. “That’s a great environment down there at their stadium. Raheem’s done a heck of a job with that group, which was obvious Monday night. Between Jimmy (Lake), Zac (Robinson) and Marquice (Williams), they’ve got great coordinators. … We need to have a good week of practice starting today and I know our guys are looking forward to the challenge of playing a good football team like this.”
Three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes enters play vying for a better performance, following a rare lackluster showing on Sunday. Mahomes threw for a pair of touchdowns against Cincinnati but was also picked off twice. The two-time NFL MVP’s 151 passing yards were his fewest since throwing for a career-low 76 against Denver on Oct. 17, 2019 before dislocating his kneecap.
All time, Kansas City holds a 7-3 series lead over Atlanta. The Falcons will look for their first win over the Chiefs since Week 1 of the 2012 season.
On the injury front, everyone was a full participant in practice for the Chiefs on Wednesday while four Falcons were limited: running back Tyler Allgeier, cornerback Antonio Hamilton Sr., and defensive linemen James Smith-Williams and Ta’Quon Graham.
–Jack Batten, Field Level Media