1+ week, 6+ day ago (371+ words) The Atlanta Falcons enjoyed an offensive renaissance in the first half against the Carolina Panthers in Week 11, but that just came with some disappointing injury news. As Atlanta leads 21-10 entering the break, it was reported that WR Darnell Mooney was questionable to return after suffering a rib injury. After Raheem Morris admitted earlier this week that the root of the 28-year-old's struggles was a broken collarbone suffered in training camp, Mooney was enjoying one of his best outings of the season. He caught three of four targets for 34 receiving yards against a weak Panther secondary before exiting the contest. Both Penix and Zac Robinson admitted earlier this week they expected the Tulane product to return to form throughout the final eight games of the season, their note of faith was well-placed. He's finally been hauling in the downfield targets from…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (459+ words) Amid their five-game losing streak, the Atlanta Falcons made history, but not the good kind. The 30-27 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 11 saw the Falcons become the first team in the Super Bowl era to record 18+ sacks across a three-game span while losing all three games. The well-documented, poor pass rush has finally improved, but that doesn't matter; the Dirty Birds are still sitting at 3-7 and are on track to miss the playoffs once again. The history created during this three-game stretch is impressively embarrassing, but on par with the ridiculous 2025 season. The Falcons went through absurd obstacles over the offseason to improve the pass rush, and it certainly worked. Three straight bottom-barrel sack seasons, and general manager Terry Fontenot had had enough, but it isn't enough to elevate the team to contender status. In the 2025 NFL Draft,…...

1+ week, 1+ day ago (392+ words) Atlanta Falcons fans have been on the verge of grabbing their pitchforks and torches to run offensive coordinator Zac Robinson out of town. The offense has been that disappointing, as they aren't barely even league average through 11 weeks. Robinson's scheme has been horrendous. He has failed to average 20 points per game with an uber-talented lineup, ruining another season where fans entered with high expectations. Ridding the franchise of the second-year OC would likely come from his firing, but, apparently, NFL insider Tom Pelissero believes he could be trending toward a head coaching job in the near future, listing him as one of his 24 young coaching candidates to watch . There is no worse scheme in the NFL than the Falcons' offense. It is as uncreative, basic, and predictable as you could imagine. Thinking he is heading toward a head coaching job…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago (384+ words) The Atlanta Falcons entered this season with hopes of winning the NFC South, but those plans have recently unraveled. The Falcons have lost their last four games, and are entering Week 11 with a 3-6 record on the season. Atlanta went from being a promising young team hoping to make the next step, to a team looking for its identity, with multiple coaches on the hot seat. Of course, it's still early in the year, and the Falcons can battle back and finish with a respectable record, but they're in a rough patch right now, and things could get even uglier on Sunday with the opponent they have coming to town. For Atlanta's Week 11 game, they will host the Carolina Panthers, a team that has had Atlanta's number in recent years. And Sunday's outcome will be incredibly telling on if the season…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (568+ words) The Atlanta Falcons 30-27 overtime loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 11 was another frustrating chapter in a season defined by inconsistency and missed opportunities. After taking a 21-7 halftime lead and looking like the team fans hoped they could be, Atlanta collapsed in the second half, ultimately giving up the game in overtime due to mistakes on special teams and key offensive drops after seeing star quarterback Michael Penix Jr go down with an injury. Despite a performance that exposed the Dirty Birds' lingering weaknesses, CBS Sports' John Breech released his Week 11 grades that seemed to reward flashes of promise rather than the disappointing story of the game by giving the Falcons an average "C". Atlanta looked sharp in the first half, moving the ball efficiently and building a seemingly comfortable 21-7 lead over the Panthers. Fans who had endured multiple seasons…...

6+ day, 23+ hour ago (433+ words) The moment the Atlanta Falcons have desperately tried to avoid (again) has come. They're back in quarterback hell following second-year pro Michael Penix Jr.'s season-ending knee injury. Penix's latest setback marks his third ACL tear since college, which reasonably raises questions about his long-term durability. That's a topic the Falcons suddenly have no choice but to address this coming offseason. Nevertheless, in the interim, the NFL's most expensive backup, Kirk Cousins, will replace him for the remainder of the 2025 campaign. Cousins' tumultuous tenure with the Falcons has been well chronicled, and there's a potential out in his contract after this year. With that in mind, he's conceivably just a short-term fill-in Penix, whose absence figures to spill into 2026. So, Atlanta will be searching for another alternative to keep the latter's seat warm, and an intriguing target may have just…...

1+ week, 3+ day ago (396+ words) The Atlanta Falcons were terrorized by Drew Brees for years on end, and Sunday's Week 12 rivalry matchup against the Saints could provide more of the same. FOX announced earlier this week that Brees would join play-by-play announcer Adam Amin on commentary for the crucial divisional clash. Despite retiring in 2020, Brees was juat hired by FOX to serve as their replacement to Mark Sanchez. The future Hall-of-Famer made his broadcasting debut in Week 11 when the New York Giants hosted the Green Bay Packers, and now will return to his old stomping grounds on Sunday afternoon. Now, Falcons fans will have to hear a 13-time Pro Bowler and their old archrival take shots at them for an entire afternoon, which is only salting the wound. To make matters worse, it's all but guaranteed that the Dirty Birds will be forced to turn…...

4+ day, 17+ hour ago (497+ words) During the extended losing streak, there was a sense of panic about the Atlanta Falcons not having a first-round pick in next year's draft after trading it away to select Tennessee's James Pearce Jr with the 26th pick. And, honestly, the panic was valid; it would be tough to see another team make your pick in the top ten after another rough season while trading away a king's ransom to bolster the pass-rush. However, the 21-year-old has silenced the doubters lately as he continues to prove he is the best rookie pass rusher in the NFL amid a late push for the Defensive Rookie of the Year award. All the attention went to Abdul Carter when looking at rookie EDGE rushers. The No. 3 pick joined a loaded New York Giants defensive line after a legendary career at Penn State. But the…...

2+ day, 4+ hour ago (406+ words) The Atlanta Falcons finally snapped their five-game losing streak in Week 12, as their 24-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints finally gave fans a glimmer of hope. And the timing of the win coincided perfectly with breakout linebacker Divine Deablo's long-awaited return from injured reserve. The 27-year-old was on pace for a career-year before suffering a forearm injury against the 49ers back in Week 7, but Raheem Morris opted to be conservative with rushing him back. And his eight combined tackles and six solo tackles all but confirmed that it took no time for him to return to 100%. Deablo signed a two-year $14 million deal with Atlanta this offseason and has played a pivotal role in the Dirty Birds' stark defensive turnaround under Jeff Ulbrich. His versatility has helped Ulbrich be able to disguise coverages, which is why it's no surprise his return saw…...

3+ week, 4+ day ago (447+ words) Only the New York Jets could trade be extremely active at the deadline and still look like one of the day's biggest losers. That's a far cry from Terry Fontenot's clear lack of activity, but sometimes, you have to count your blessings that you don't end up the laughingstock of the NFL like the Jets are. The Jets sent Sauce Gardner to Indianapolis and Quinnen Williams to Dallas for a heap of draft capital, which Gang Green needs, but the 1-7 Jets cannot get any worse. However, their laughable Tuesday afternoon is good news for the Atlanta Falcons, who will play the Jets in just a few weeks. The Falcons have yet to make a move with just over a half hour to go until the buzzer sounds, and it's starting to look increasingly unlikely that the Dirty Birds make any…...