That'd be dope in general as a room and just for morale as an offensive piece, [with] the tight end being one of the focal points in it," Pitts said ( via Schultz on X). The tight end clarified that he had a significant role under Arthur Smith and Raheem Morris, but he expected an "enhanced role" if he sticks in Atlanta for the long haul.
The Falcons have made another notable hire as Kevin Stefanski fills out his initial staff. Atlanta has brought in Craig Aukerman as special teams coordinator, per a team announcement. Over the course of his coaching career, Aukerman has primarily worked on special teams. He spent 2025 as the Dolphins' STC, but once head coach Mike McDaniel was fired it became likely a change of scenery would be likely. Indeed, new HC Jeff Hafley hired Chris Tabor to serve as Aukerman's replacement last week.
Unless the Giants can convince Harbaugh they are the perfect fit today, it appears the veteran HC will have more visits to make. Harbaugh is currently planning in-person meetings with the Falcons and Titans, SI.com's Albert Breer notes. The early expectation points to both meetings taking place over the next three days. Considering this is Harbaugh's first time on the coaching carousel in 18 years, it would make sense he takes more than one in-person meeting.
Owner Arthur Blank's group has brought the consulting firm Sportology, with whom they've partnered with for a while, in to work with them on the Falcons, as well as the MLS' Atlanta United and the new NWSL expansion team he was awarded (they've worked with Blank on building the NWSL club for a little while). For the Falcons' specifically, it's an overall health check on the team's operations.
Week 15 of the 2025 NFL season began with an NFC South game between the Falcons and Buccaneers on Thursday night. Led by three touchdowns from tight end Kyle Pitts Sr., the Falcons won thanks to a field goal as time expired from kicker Zane Gonzalez. In the early window Sunday, the Eagles bounced back from a five-turnover performance last Monday with a shutout win over the Raiders. Tight end Dallas Goedert finished with a team-high two touchdown grabs and 70 receiving yards, handing Las Vegas its eighth straight loss. Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything you need to know for every team. Let's get to it.
* LB Malik Verdon (shoulder) OUT * LG Matthew Bergeron (ankle) * WR KhaDarel Hodge (shoulder) * RG Chris Lindstrom (foot) QUESTIONABLE * EDGE Leonard Floyd (rest) * LT Jake Matthews (rest) * WR Drake London (knee) OUT * DL David Onyemata (rest) * TE Charlie Woerner (rest) * LB Josh Woods (hamstring) OUT * OL Joe Tippmann (personal) * DL Harrison Phillips (foot) QUESTIONABLE * CB Jarvis Brownlee Jr. (hip) QUESTIONABLE The Falcons
You've got your one leg, two legs, three legs, four legs, five legs, six legs of turkey. You've got your green bean casserole, your mac and cheese, your mashed potatoes, and your cranberry sauce that plops from the can. You've got pies you've ready to die fighting to get an extra slice of. You're ready for Thanksgiving, and you're ready for football.
The Buccaneers have lost three in a row after going through a mini-gauntlet that included the Patriots, Bills, and Rams. Early-season hype has died down, and this team looks good by NFC South standards, but that's a low bar. Todd Bowles' defense has been getting shredded, but you also have to live and die with the volatility that comes with Baker Mayfield.
Norton landed on IR with a return designation during final roster cuts after undergoing ankle surgery in the preseason. He returned to practice on October 22 and was a full practice participant right away. He then re-aggravated the injury the following week and has not practiced since. His 21-day practice window expired on Wednesday, forcing him to watch the rest of the season from the sidelines.
Considering the defensive personnel likely missing for Sunday's game against the Patriots, the onus falls heavily on the offense to be efficient and convert red-zone opportunities. They need to be ready to score 30 points against this high-level caliber of opposition. It's certainly possible with Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London returning from injury. What raises major doubt is how limited the offense is in its operation.
Given reports early Saturday morning suggesting that the Falcons will sit their injured quarterback Michael Penix in favor of veteran Kirk Cousins, the intrigue shot through the roof for this Dolphins game. Should Cousins step in for Penix, who is questionable for the game with a bone bruise in his knee, it'll be interesting to see how this impacts the team's passing game.
Kevin Knight is joined by Rob Guerrera (49ers Gold Standard) to break down the injury report, discuss the biggest matchups to watch on offense and defense, and deliver some predictions for the game. Fellow Falcoholics, welcome to another episode of the Dirty Birds and Brews podcast! You can also listen to all of our video shows in an audio-only podcast format, available on all your favorite podcast platforms or by using the player below.
The Falcons laid an absolute egg in Charlotte territory, getting pulverized 30-0 in a game where they looked woefully unprepared. Atlanta got out played and out coached. As you would imagine, just about all of their players (but not quite all) were complete disappointments in fantasy football this week. It was difficult picking a "fantasy dud" just because there were so many great options.
The Falcons offense broke down against the Panthers in Week 3 in one of the ugliest games in a decade. Kevin Knight and Tre'Shon Diaz dive into the film to figure out what went wrong, including Michael Penix's struggles, Zac Robinson's schematic issues, and the lackluster play of the wide receivers. Fellow Falcoholics, welcome to another episode of the Dirty Birds and Brews podcast!
Jones was bound to have more big-play opportunities after squaring off with Richard Sherman in the previous matchup. Facing a Packers defense filled with question marks raised increased anticipation for what the 2016 first-team All-Pro can do against them.
