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…...

3+ week, 9+ hour ago (435+ words) The Atlanta Falcons' kickers have been quite literally hit or miss this season. Newcomer Zane Gonzalez may be the answer to the problematic position at long last. After three poor seasons with the Browns and Cardinals to begin his career, Gonzalez made 90.9% of his field goals in 2021 with the Carolina Panthers. After that, he disappeared into various practice squads and injury concerns. Finally, halfway through 2024, Gonzalez reappeared with the Commanders and smacked five of seven field goals through in the regular season. After the Commanders made the playoffs, Gonzalez was even more efficient. He hit seven of eight field goals and made all 27 extra point attempts through nine total games last year. Even NFL reporter Mike Garafolo suggested Gonzalez may fix the Falcons' kicking woes. The 30-year-old is a big soccer fan and travels around Europe often to watch matches....

3+ week, 6+ day ago (451+ words) This was a game the Atlanta Falcons should've won. It's the type of game that left the worst possible taste in fans' mouths, and it's not hard to see why. They had a golden opportunity to tie the game at 24 with under five minutes to play, but instead, the Falcons pulled a Falcons. After a Drake London touchdown reception, Parker Romo missed the ensuing extra point, only amplifying to the kicker woes. Moreover, just a few minutes later, Michael Penix Jr. derailed a potential game-winning drive with a costly intentional grounding call that resulted in a punt rather than points. Afterward, the defense failed to stop Drake Maye from putting the game on ice, as a third consecutive loss dropped the Dirty Birds to 3-5. After last weekend's disaster against the Dolphins, Atlanta responded admirably against the surging New England Patriots,…...

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…...

3+ week, 1+ day ago (551+ words) For the Atlanta Falcons to right the ship this season, a lot has to change. The roller coaster season has been frustrating and exciting in different ways. But as of late, it's been frustrating, as the Dirty Birds are amid a three-game losing streak that ended in heartbreak last weekend. It wasn't too long ago where we were speculating about who Atlanta might acquire at the trade deadline, but GM Terry Fontenot stood pat. This means that they believe in the surplus of underperforming players on this roster are capable of turning things around. And now, multiple players will be tasked with stepping up if the Falcons' playoff drought wants to end. Mooney is the key to the truly unlocking the Falcons' struggling offense. The duo of Drake London and Kyle Pitts has been reliable, to some degree. The two…...

1+ week, 4+ 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,…...

6+ day, 5+ hour ago (468+ words) After over a month, the Atlanta Falcons finally broke their five-game losing streak, and kicker Zane Gonzalez deserves a lot of credit. In his third week as a Falcon, Gonzalez connected on field goals from 41, 54, and 56 yards yards in the 24-10 Week 12 victory over the New Orleans Saints. The icing on the cake? He is the second kicker in franchise history to make two field goals from 54+ yards in the same game. He had an opportunity late in the fourth quarter to hit a third, but a delay of game penalty ruined his chances. This performance secured another few weeks of job security for the veteran kicker and might have ended the Falcons' kicker woes for good. Entering Week 10, Gonzalez hadn't played in a game this season, and the Falcons went through two kickers earlier this season. After struggling last season…...

4+ day, 20+ 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…...

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…...

3+ week, 5+ day ago (419+ words) Sometimes it just feels like everything that can go wrong will go wrong as an Atlanta Falcons fan. And then come all the brutal reminders of these terrible memories. Playing the Patriots in Week 9 was bad enough, as it brought up terrible memories of that fateful Super Bowl Sunday nearly a decade ago. But we all hoped we would see the Falcons get some sort of revenge by beating the Pats at their place to snap their four-game-winning streak. Unfortunately, after a miraculous touchdown catch by Drake London, Parker Romo was unable to hit a game-tying PAT. So, naturally, Falcons fans had to watch a record-breaking field goal not too long after when Jacksonville Jaguars kicker Cam Little hit a 68-yard field goal before halftime. Want it to hurt even more? The Dirty Birds could've drafted him last year in…...