By Michael-Shawn Dugar, Josh Kendall and Rebecca Tauber

For the eighth consecutive season, the Atlanta Falcons will not be headed to the playoffs. The Falcons’ 37-9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday dropped them to 4-9, eliminating them from playoff contention.

The Falcons hung with the Seahawks in the first half, entering halftime tied 6-6, but they were no match for Seattle’s defense in the second half. The Seahawks are now 10-3 as they battle for the top spot in the NFC West.

Seahawks defense makes a statement

Seattle’s defense is a well-oiled machine that few offenses have answers for. The Falcons reached Seattle’s side of the field six times and came away with only nine points because the visitors kept stepping up in critical moments. The three failed series ended with a blocked field goal, a fumble and a pass breakup in the end zone on fourth down.

Seattle also held Kirk Cousins to a 50 percent completion rate and picked him off twice while recording 10 passes defended. One week after beating up on Vikings rookie quarterback Max Brosmer, the Seahawks traveled to the South and easily handled a team led by a veteran signal caller. It was yet another statement made by one of the league’s top defenses. — Michael-Shawn Dugar, staff writer, Seahawks

Nick Emmanwori shows up

Have a day, Nick Emmanwori. The rookie defensive back blocked a first-half Falcons field goal attempt. He recorded his first NFL interception on a batted pass in the second half. He recorded his second career sack in the fourth quarter and finished the game with six total tackles and a tackle for loss.

The batted pass was recorded by Devon Witherspoon, who later grabbed his first interception of the season on a botched screen pass in the fourth quarter. Witherspoon had seven tackles and recovered a fumble. — Dugar

Sam Darnold turns it on

Darnold and the Seattle offense came alive in the second half. Darnold threw three touchdown passes in the final two quarters, two to Jaxon Smith-Njigba (seven catches, 92 yards) and another to Cooper Kupp.

Rashid Shaheed had his most productive day as a Seahawk, catching four passes for 67 yards. He also returned the opening kickoff of the third quarter 100 yards for a touchdown. Seattle rolled Atlanta in every phase and continues to look like one of the NFL’s best teams. — Dugar

Falcons’ special teams continue to struggle

Shaheed’s 100-yard kickoff return to open the second half was the worst special teams mistake of the game, but not the only one. Atlanta also had a Zane Gonzalez field goal attempt blocked.

Coach Raheem Morris said last week that he was happy with the job being done by special teams coordinator Marquice Williams despite the unit’s season-long struggles, but Sunday might change that opinion.

The Falcons have given up an NFL-worst 31.2 yards per kickoff return and were 30th in the league in special teams EPA (32.76) as of Sunday afternoon. — Josh Kendall, senior writer, Falcons

What’s next for Kyle Pitts?

Pitts is showing enough down the stretch that he should garner some interest from teams in free agency this spring. Whether those teams will include Atlanta is unknown, but against the Seahawks, Pitts flashed the two traits that made him the No. 4 pick of the 2021 draft — size and speed. Pitts finished with a season-high 90 yards on six catches and now has 172 yards in the last two weeks. He will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason. — Kendall

All eyes on Morris

The Falcons are now guaranteed their eighth straight losing season, which ties the franchise record set from 1983 to 1990, and Sunday’s effort was as embarrassing as anything that happened in those lean years.

Atlanta entered halftime tied 6-6 but gave up the kickoff return to Shaheed on the first play of the second half, turned the ball over three times on offense and then completely wilted defensively. The Falcons were eventually outscored 31-3 and outgained by more 100 yards in the final 30 minutes, an end that is sure to turn up the heat on Morris as he completes his second year. — Kendall