#atlanta-falcons

#atlanta-falcons

The Atlanta Falcons are on their third kicker of the 2025 campaign. Per NFL insider Mike Garafolo, the team has brought on kicker Zane Gonzalez. The veteran spent part of 2024 with the Washington Commanders, hitting 5 of 7 field goal tries and all 19 extra point attempts, but had previously not kicked in an NFL game since 2021. The corresponding move is, inevitably, Atlanta cutting ties with Parker Romo.

Walker put it all together as an edge defender in this game. He was stout against the run and lived in the backfield all game (anything else that happened was woke, off-ball nonsense). The time out clearly did him good; his lower-body explosiveness was noticeable. Walker was considered a project on draft night; he's been learning and playing a more defined position and has improved every game.

The Atlanta Falcons should've won that game and made a gorgeous autumn day in New England that much more enjoyable. I know that, you know that, the Patriots know that. They have to be letting out of a sigh of relief in Massachusetts today, given how close the margin was, while the Falcons pick up the pieces of yet another loss.

Boy, the Falcons have really done it to themselves yet again. After a high energy win against the Buffalo Bills which reinvigorated the fanbase was followed with a disappointing defeat in San Francisco, Atlanta laid an absolute egg against a porous Dolphins team that had seemingly nothing going right for them. Now, the Birds sit at 3-4, in the middle of a highly competitive NFC, with their season in danger of slipping away right as the first winds of cold have arrived at our doorstep.

Penix might be the biggest winner from yesterday. That was the worst defense the Falcons have played by a long shot, and the offense couldn't get anything going. Moving forward, fans need to understand that grading Penix in this offense requires a curve. He definitely has bad plays where blame can't be shifted, but he's not anchoring this group. Based on what we saw yesterday, he's been keeping them afloat more times than not.

JD Bertrand looks like he doesn't belong out there, and given that the committee Jeff Ulbrich discussed hasn't materialized, that's been a major problem for the defense. The Falcons have talked up Bertrand's ability and effort in the past and clearly like the young linebacker, but if they're going to rely on him, they need better. What's causing this performance, and can he be salvaged?

In fact, the former second-round pick has been a trade target since the preseason, although the Falcons haven't shown any desire to trade him up to this point. Fowler notes that Atlanta's front office will listen to offers on any players, leading the reporter to believe Ebiketie could be had for the right price. Ebiketie appeared to be a foundational piece as recently as last season.

There's been a feeling of the Falcons hitting rock bottom continually since 2019. It started with a 1-7 start that season, followed by losing the first five games in 2020, leading to the firings of Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff. While 2021 was a rebuilding year, the season opener at home against Philadelphia ended in a 32-6 defeat. That's not how you want to start a new era with Arthur Smith.

This most consistent thing about this Falcons team is that you can count on them to always be inconsistent. Following one of the most impressive wins you can get on Monday Night Football against the Buffalo Bills, their mistake-riddled performance against the completely banged up San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football saw them drop a highly winnable game. In a vacuum, the 3-3 record doesn't look too bad,

The Atlanta Falcons knew they'd have to stop Christian McCaffrey, and they knew they'd need to attack a vulnerable San Francisco linebacker corps and secondary. While there were moments, and even long stretches where the defense held up despite the loss of Divine Deablo, they didn't do any of that on a consistent basis. They lost by failing to do what they knew must be done.

The Falcons will soon be adding some depth to their secondary. According to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, the team designated for return from injured reserve today. Fuller suffered a knee injury in Week 1 that landed him on injured reserve. The veteran only required a minimum four-game stay on IR before returning to practice. The team now has 21 days to activate Fuller to the active roster.

With Ray-Ray McCloud inactive, Sills was the third receiver for much of the game, and did not receive a target while throwing some nice blocks. Casey Washington, who was targeted twice, also was a key blocking option. It's fair to suggest that if Darnell Mooney isn't going to be back, the Falcons have to figure out who they can throw the ball to in this receiving corps outside of Drake London, because neither Sills or Washington seems to be a consistent option in that regard.