The Atlanta Falcons had plenty of opportunities to keep Sunday’s matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals competitive, but a series of costly penalties made an already difficult afternoon even tougher.

Atlanta committed 12 penalties for 88 yards in its 34-17 loss to Cincinnati in Madrid, Spain. The season-high in penalties proved particularly damaging, as the Falcons repeatedly put themselves behind the chains and erased opportunities to generate points against one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses.

Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski was understandably frustrated with the lack of discipline, especially considering how much emphasis the coaching staff places on avoiding penalties throughout the week.

“We had too many self-inflicted things today that will make it really hard to win versus any opponent, and in this case, a very good football team,” Stefanski said after the game.

The penalties were especially damaging in critical situations. One of the biggest examples came during Atlanta’s second offensive possession.

Michael Penix Jr. scrambled for a six yard gain that brought the Falcons to the one-yard line, putting them in an excellent position to score a touchdown. However, a holding penalty on left guard Matthew Bergeron wiped away the play and pushed Atlanta back to the 17-yard line.

After another penalty further complicated the drive, the Falcons were unable to reach the end zone and settled for a field goal.

Against a Cincinnati offense led by Joe Burrow, those missed opportunities were difficult to overcome.

The Falcons had another costly sequence in the fourth quarter. Facing third and two at the Bengals’ 10-yard line, Atlanta committed multiple penalties on the same play. Cincinnati accepted a holding penalty against Kyle Pitts, and the Falcons ultimately failed to convert the first down. Nick Folk subsequently missed a 38-yard field goal attempt.

Stefanski specifically pointed to the pre snap penalties as an area that simply cannot continue happening.

The Falcons' head coach called those mistakes “inexcusable,” emphasizing the importance of translating what the team accomplishes during practice into its performance on game day.

Penix also acknowledged the frustration, explaining that penalties have been a major point of emphasis during team meetings.

“Usually it’s less than one or two penalties each day,” Penix said, referencing the numbers Stefanski typically reviews with the team. “We’ve had some clean days as well.”

However, Sunday’s performance was a different story.

“Whenever we come out here and, you know, have 12 penalties between all three units, it’s tough to win like that,” Penix said.

The quarterback also recognized how damaging the holding penalty was after his scramble brought the Falcons within inches of the goal line.

“Whenever we do have a penalty like that bringing us from the one to the 15, or whatever it was, that’s crushing,” Penix said. “And we can’t do that. Great football teams can’t do that, and we can’t beat ourselves. We have to go out there and beat the other team.”

Ultimately, the penalties were only part of Atlanta’s problems. The defense struggled to contain Burrow, who completed 24 of 29 passes for 271 yards and three touchdowns. Ja’Marr Chase added 155 receiving yards, while Tee Higgins caught two touchdowns.

Still, the Falcons made their afternoon considerably more difficult with mistakes they could have avoided.

Stefanski knows his team cannot afford to continue making those mistakes, particularly with another difficult matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs approaching.

“When you’re playing good football teams you have to be at your best, and we were not at our best today,” Stefanski said.

Atlanta falls to 3-6 with its second consecutive loss. If the Falcons want to turn their season around, improving their discipline and eliminating self-inflicted mistakes will have to be part of the solution.