The Atlanta Falcons should be very grateful for a drop of Saquon Barkley.

The Falcons should make a big jump after the quarterback reinforcement of Kirk Cousins, and they are just one highly improbable win away from being 0-3. The Falcons started fast on Sunday night, but the offense couldn’t keep the momentum going and they lost 22-17 to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Falcons had two chances to win in the fourth quarter. The first drive stalled at the 10-yard line and ended in a turnover on one down, and the final drive to win ended when Bijan Robinson was stopped on a handoff on fourth and inches, causing a loss of yardage. It was an odd play, as Robinson got the handoff east and west instead of down the middle of the line. Perhaps concerns about the offensive line, which has been dealing with some injuries, played a role in the decision. It also didn’t help that a quarterback sneak was out of the question with Cousins, who was coming off a torn Achilles tendon. To the Chiefs’ credit, they made the plays they needed to make to get the win.

The Falcons have had a tough schedule. The combined record of their three opponents is 8-1, and the only loss came when the Falcons beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2 after Barkley’s drop led to a game-winning drive by Atlanta. But the NFL doesn’t have much sympathy for teams that have a tough stretch of schedule. The Falcons aren’t playing well enough to be better than 1-2. And they’re lucky to be 1-2.

Chiefs take the lead in the 2nd half

The Falcons started fast. Kirk Cousins ​​hit Drake London for a 14-yard touchdown to give the Falcons a 7-0 lead. After the Chiefs tied it, Bijan Robinson scored and the Falcons were back up 14-7. Then the offense, which had lost several offensive linemen to injuries, faltered. Worse, the Falcons had a crucial turnover late in the half.

Instead of playing it safe when they took the lead with 59 seconds left in the half, Cousins ​​dropped back to pass. He was pressured behind a battered offensive line and his arm was hit, and the Chiefs intercepted the ball. The Chiefs scored a field goal just before the end of the half, cutting Atlanta’s lead to 14-13.

The third quarter belonged to the Chiefs. They made a couple of 11-play drives, wasting most of the time, and scored a field goal and a touchdown. Atlanta barely had the ball in the third quarter and trailed 22-14 at the start of the fourth quarter.

The only good news for the Falcons is that the Chiefs didn’t completely blow them away despite having several chances to do so.

Falcons have a chance in the 4th quarter

The Falcons scored a field goal and then forced a punt. Trailing 22-17, they had a chance to pull out a clear victory over the two-time defending champions. It wouldn’t be their last chance.

The Falcons were pushed back at their own 6-yard line, but then the tempo on offense picked up, similar to the two-minute drill that gave them a win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. London caught a great pass on fourth down to keep the drive alive. But on two consecutive plays inside the 10-yard line, Cousins ​​threw an incomplete pass to Kyle Pitts (where the refs may have missed defensive pass interference) and London and the Chiefs took control on downs.

The Falcons got another chance just before the two-minute warning. The Chiefs punted after Mahomes misfired to Xavier Worthy on third down when Worthy appeared to stop his route. That gave Cousins ​​another chance for his second game-winning drive of the season. The drive was kept alive by a couple of Chiefs penalties and the Falcons advanced to the 20-yard line. They faced fourth-and-2 with less than a minute to play. The Falcons inexplicably ran a wide play to Robinson and he was stopped well short of the line of scrimmage.

The Falcons had chances to win. They just aren’t ready to win yet. The Chiefs are used to being in this position and it showed.