It was a frustrating day in Atlanta for the Washington Commanders, because despite all the mistakes they made against the Falcons on both sides of the ball, there was still a chance for them to climb out of the hole they had dug themselves.

When they went down 10-0 in the first quarter, there was still plenty of time for them to get back in a rhythm. Marcus Mariota's third-quarter interception was followed up by one from Mike Sainristil, which the Commanders used to help keep it a one-score game. When the Falcons went up by 15 points at the end of the third quarter, the Commanders struck back with a touchdown of their own to keep things competitive.

But for all the Commanders did to stay in the game, what they didn't do was enough to keep them out of it.

It felt like the Commanders took two steps back for every step forward in their 34-27 loss to the Falcons. The positives were followed up by mistakes, which made gaining any sense of momentum on both sides of the ball feel like a labor. It wasn't something a team with a bevy of injuries, including their starting quarterback, could afford.

The Falcons treated their matchup with the Commanders like a "prove it" game after falling 30-0 to the Carolina Panthers last week, and they rose to that standard with their best performance of the season so far. Michael Penix Jr., who only had six incompletions all day, finished with a career-high 313 yards and was sacked just one time. The Falcons' three biggest playmakers -- Drake London, Kyle Pitts and Bijan Robinson -- combined for 316 total yards and three touchdowns.

Meanwhile, Washington's offense continued the up-and-down trajectory it's been on to start the season. There were moments where it looked like the clean, efficient unit that put up 41 points a week ago, like their eight-play, 70-yard touchdown drive in the second quarter; there were also moments where the unit had to settle for smaller victories. Their two field goals in the third quarter did keep them in the game, but a false start by Zach Ertz and an incompletion intended for the tight end spoiled chances at getting in the end zone.

Penalties were also a problem for the Commanders. Their six flags for 50 yards don't appear to be that pivotal on the stat sheet, but the moments they occurred created difficult challenges. Ertz's false start turned a third-and-2 into a third-and-7 and was followed by an incomplete pass. Mariota was called for intentional grounding, which doused the spark caused by a 58-yard return from Luke McCaffrey. A defensive holding call from Trey Amos got the Falcons out of a difficult spot, while a pass interference call from McCaffrey eliminated a 10-yard gain.

When coupled with the bigger mistakes, like Mariota's interception in the end zone and Von Miller's missed tackle on Tyler Allgeier that turned into a touchdown, it was too difficult of a challenge for the Commanders to overcome.

It became clear on the opening drive that the Commanders would need to get in a shootout in order to get out of Atlanta with a win.

The Falcons marched down the field on their opening drive, thanks to 19 yards from Robinson and a 26-yard completion to Pitts. The Commanders managed to get a stop at their own 20-yard line to force a field goal, but after Washington's opening drive went backwards six yards, the Falcons were back in scoring position on a 14-play, 73-yard drive. This time, the Falcons did get into the end zone with a five-yard pass to London.

The Commanders' offense came to life after that. Chris Rodriguez scampered into Atlanta territory with a 48-yard run, and Mariota finished things off six plays later with a touchdown pass to McCaffrey. The Falcons were quick to respond, as a 43-yard pass to London moved them to the Commanders' 26-yard line. Three plays later, Robinson jump cut his way through the Commanders' defense on his way to a 14-yard score.

The Falcons were kept in check for the rest of the half, but the Commanders couldn't quite get enough from their offense to take advantage of the lull. Matt Gay cut the deficit down to seven points with a 43-yard field goal, but their attempts at tying the score before halftime died after six plays and 21 yards, leaving the score 17-10.

It was still a favorable situation for the Commanders, who got the ball to start the third quarter, and they got a 52-yard field goal from Gay that got them within a touchdown of taking the lead. However, Robinson got loose for a 69-yard play on the first play of the Falcons' ensuing drive. Pitts finished things off on the next play with a seven-yard touchdown.

The Commanders were given a gift after Mariota's interception when Sainristil grabbed their first takeaway of the season. They got another field goal from Gay, but it came after the offense moved the ball just two yards at the Falcons' 25-yard line. The Falcons responded with another touchdown, this time on Allgeier's 15-yard rumble to the end zone, putting Atlanta up 31-16

The Commanders still had a chance with a whole quarter left to play but needed some breaks to go their way. They got one on a fourth-and-3 when Deebo Samuel came down with a 24-yard touchdown, making it a one-score game yet again. The pressure then switched back to the defense, which forced four third downs on the drive. The Falcons picked up three on gains of five, 22 and nine yards, and by the time the Commanders managed to force a fourth down, it came at their own 8-yard line and was followed up by a 26-yard field goal.

The Commanders took over with no timeouts left and got to the Falcons 24-yard line before getting another field goal from Gay. It meant that they needed to recover an onside kick, but Pitts dashed those hopes by falling on it at the Commanders' 48-yard line, allowing the Falcons to run out the clock from there.