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Atlanta Falcons

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Casey Washington Casey Washington Out again vs. Giants Fri, Dec 20, 2024, 1:19 PM Washington (concussion) is out for Sunday's outing against the Giants, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Analysis: Washington will log his third straight inactive game as the Falcons take on the Giants at home. The rookie wide receiver's next chance to see the field will be in Week 17 against the Commanders, though he'll likely be a special teams contributor if he sees the field then.
KhaDarel Hodge KhaDarel Hodge Questionable for Week 16 Fri, Dec 20, 2024, 1:11 PM Hodge (ribs) is questionable for Sunday's game against the Giants, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Analysis: Hodge sees substantial offensive snaps only if one of Drake London, Darnell Mooney or Ray-Ray McCloud is injured, and that's not the case this week. Over the last three weeks, Hodge has played a combined 12 offensive snaps. If he's unable to go against the Giants, his absence would mainly be felt on special teams.
Kirk Cousins Kirk Cousins Will work as backup Wed, Dec 18, 2024, 1:14 PM Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said Wednesday that Cousins will serve as the team's No. 2 quarterback behind rookie Michael Penix in Sunday's game against the Giants, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Analysis: On Tuesday, Morris announced that Penix would take over as Atlanta's starter, but it wasn't immediately known if Cousins would serve as his direct backup, or if the Falcons would elevate Nathan Peterman from the practice squad to handle those duties. Rather than making Cousins a healthy inactive, Atlanta will continue to have the veteran signal-caller suit up on game days, even though the Falcons are now turning the offense over to the rookie first-round pick. Cousins' long-term future in Atlanta is another matter, as the 36-year-old is being benched just 14 games into the four-year, $180 million contract he inked with the Falcons this offseason. Through those 14 appearances, Cousins has completed 303 of 453 pass attempts (67 percent) for 3,508 yards, 16 touchdowns and a league-high 16 interceptions. Nine of those interceptions came over Cousins' most recent five starts, during which he threw for just one touchdown.
Ray-Ray McCloud Ray-Ray McCloud One grab in win Wed, Dec 18, 2024, 8:49 AM McCloud caught one of three targets for 14 yards in Monday's 15-9 win over the Raiders. Analysis: McCloud could not get much going in Week 15 as the Falcons' passing attack continued to struggle with quarterback Kirk Cousins at the helm. Monday's game marked the first contest in which the veteran wideout failed to record multiple catches this season. McCloud will look to bounce back in a Week 16 matchup against the Giants, but he'll be receiving targets from Michael Penix after the Falcons announced Tuesday that the rookie will be the team's starting quarterback moving forward.
Darnell Mooney Darnell Mooney No catches in Week 15 Wed, Dec 18, 2024, 8:20 AM Mooney failed to secure his lone target in Monday's 15-9 win over the Raiders. Analysis: Mooney was a complete nonfactor in Week 15 despite playing 91 percent of Atlanta's offensive snaps against the Raiders. Monday's game marked the first time in which the veteran wideout failed to record a single reception in a contest this season. The Falcons' passing attack continues to struggle with Kirk Cousins under center, as he completed just 11 of 17 passes in the game. Mooney will look to bounce back in Week 16 against the vulnerable Giants secondary, though he'll be on the receiving end of passes from rookie signal caller Michael Penix, as the Falcons announced Tuesday that Penix will be the team's starting quarterback moving forward.
Kirk Cousins Kirk Cousins Loses starting QB job Tue, Dec 17, 2024, 8:04 PM Atlanta announced Tuesday that Michael Penix will be the team's starting quarterback moving forward, displacing Cousins in the role. Analysis: Cousins struggled over the Falcons' past five games, posting a 1:9 TD:INT while the team went 1-4. Though the squad snapped a four-game losing streak Monday against the Raiders, Cousins didn't do well, completing 11 of 17 passes for 112 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Head coach Raheem Morris was non-committal about the veteran quarterback continuing to start under center for the squad earlier Tuesday, and the Falcons later made the announcement that Penix will be taking over as the team's starting signal-caller. Per Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site, Morris said in a prepared statement, "This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday's game against the New York Giants." It's unclear what Cousins' future in Atlanta will be after signing a four-year, $180 million contract in the offseason.
Michael Penix Michael Penix Taking over as starting QB Tue, Dec 17, 2024, 7:57 PM The Falcons announced Tuesday that Penix will be the team's starting quarterback moving forward. Analysis: A change at quarterback in Atlanta had been brewing since head coach Raheem Morris expressed frustration over Kirk Cousins' performance following Monday's 15-9 win over the Raiders. Cousins has been struggling over the Falcons' past five games, posting a 1:9 TD:INT while the team has gone 1-4. Penix has gotten into just two games this season, completing three of five passes for 38 yards after being drafted eighth overall in April's NFL Draft. The Washington product was always going to be the Falcons' quarterback of the future given his lofty draft selection, but his time to shine is coming sooner than expected, as Cousins was slated to lead the team this season after signing a four-year, $180-million contract in March. Atlanta is currently 7-7 and one game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South, so Penix will be playing with the aim of leading the team into the postseason. His first start will come in a soft matchup Sunday versus the 2-12 Giants.
Kirk Cousins Kirk Cousins Not yet confirmed for Week 16 start Tue, Dec 17, 2024, 4:51 PM Head coach Raheem Morris was non-committal Tuesday when asked if Cousins will remain the Falcons' starting quarterback for Sunday's game against the Giants, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports. "We just got back [from Las Vegas]. We still have to go through that process," Morris said. "All those things will happen over the course of the week. We didn't play well enough at the quarterback position." Analysis: Though the Falcons snapped their four-game losing streak Monday with a 15-9 win over the Raiders, Cousins' play didn't inspire much confidence in the prospects of the Atlanta offense moving forward. After Cousins had turned in a disastrous 0:8 TD:INT during the previous four games, the Falcons leaned heavily on the ground attack in Week 16, attempting 37 runs on the night. Cousins was unable to do much with his 20 dropbacks, taking three sacks and completing 11 of 17 pass attempts for 112 yards, one touchdown and NFL-leading 16th interception of the season. Though a soft home matchup against the 2-12 Giants awaits in Week 16, the 7-7 Falcons may view the game as a good opportunity to see if rookie first-round pick Michael Penix can provide an upgrade over the struggling Cousins as Atlanta looks to stay in the thick of the NFC playoff race. Expect Morris to provide an update on the Falcons' plans at quarterback Wednesday, when the team resumes practicing.
Kyle Pitts Kyle Pitts Team-high catch tally Monday Mon, Dec 16, 2024, 11:27 PM Pitts secured all four targets for 28 yards in the Falcons' 15-9 win over the Raiders on Monday night. Analysis: The struggling tight end saw a welcome uptick in involvement, even as that came accompanied with a modest receiving yardage total. Pitts' catch and target totals were both team-high figures, and both the reception and yardage tallies also were his best since Week 10. Pitts will look to carry over the momentum into a Week 16 home matchup against the Giants.
Drake London Drake London Hauls in 30-yard TD in win Mon, Dec 16, 2024, 11:24 PM London secured all three targets for 53 yards and a touchdown in the Falcons' 15-9 win over the Raiders on Monday night. Analysis: London led the Falcons in receiving yards and scored the team's only touchdown on a 30-yard grab in the first quarter. The talented wideout's trip to the end zone was his first since Week 9, and he was able to eclipse 50 receiving yards for the fifth consecutive contest. London did see a big drop in targets after garnering 26 looks over the previous two games, but Kirk Cousins threw only 17 times overall on the night. London next takes aim at a Giants defense that just gave up five touchdown passes to Lamar Jackson when New York visits Atlanta in Week 16.
Bijan Robinson Bijan Robinson Another 100-yard effort in win Mon, Dec 16, 2024, 11:15 PM Robinson rushed 22 times for 125 yards and brought in one of two targets for 10 yards in the Falcons' 15-9 win over the Raiders on Monday night. Analysis: Robinson had clear control of the Falcons' ground game once again, although backfield mate Tyler Allgeier logged 12 carries of his own as part of a run-centric game plan. Robinson eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the fourth time this season in the process with a figure that qualified as a new season high. The second-year back has now encouragingly logged at least 22 carries in three straight contests, and he could potentially put together an even better performance against the Giants' suspect run defense in a Week 16 home matchup.
Kirk Cousins Kirk Cousins Pedestrian numbers in win Mon, Dec 16, 2024, 11:11 PM Cousins completed 11 of 17 passes for 112 yards with a touchdown and an interception and netted no gain on three rush attempts in the Falcons' 15-9 win over the Raiders on Monday night. He also committed a fumble but recovered. Analysis: Cousins' numbers were hardly of the redemptive variety after a four-game stretch that may have had his starting job in danger, but the veteran signal-caller at least snapped his four-game touchdown drought with a 30-yard first-quarter scoring strike to Drake London. Cousins ultimately wasn't tasked with doing much more against an inept Raiders offense helmed by Desmond Ridder, leading to his lowest passing yardage total of the campaign. Cousins may enjoy a similar game script in a Week 16 home matchup against the lowly Giants, who should also pose very little threat as well.
Casey Washington Casey Washington Out again Week 15 Sat, Dec 14, 2024, 2:29 PM Washington (concussion) has been ruled out for Monday's matchup against the Raiders, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports. Analysis: Washington suffered a concussion Week 11 against Denver, but he was able to play Week 13 following Atlanta's Week 12 bye. However, the rookie wideout was a late scratch Week 14 due to lingering concussion symptoms, and he didn't practice at all this week. When healthy, Washington has mostly played on special teams, logging just nine offensive snaps over eight contests.
Darnell Mooney Darnell Mooney Logs full practice Fri, Dec 13, 2024, 3:13 PM Mooney (foot) was a full practice participant Friday, Marc Raimondi of ESPN.com reports. Analysis: The quick upgrade from limited participation to full confirms Mooney will be ready for Monday's game at Las Vegas. He was one of the few Falcons to thrive Week 14, catching six of seven targets for 142 yards in a 42-21 loss at Minnesota.
Darnell Mooney Darnell Mooney Dealing with foot injury Thu, Dec 12, 2024, 3:07 PM Mooney was limited at Thursday's practice due to a foot injury, Tori McElhaney of the Falcons' official site reports. Analysis: Mooney has been dealing with an Achilles injury since Week 11 prep, but a new health concern has been swapped in at the start of Week 15 prep. He's suited up for all three games in the meantime, hauling in 11 of 17 targets for 189 yards and no touchdowns in that span. Mooney's status at practice Friday and Saturday likely will be telling for his availability for Monday's game at Las Vegas.
Jase McClellan Jase McClellan Shifts to IR Wed, Dec 11, 2024, 3:35 PM McClellan (knee) was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, Terrin Waack of the Falcons' official site reports. Analysis: The 2024 sixth-round pick from Alabama missed two consecutive games with a knee injury before being placed on injured reserve Wednesday. McClellan will now be sidelined for the remainder of the season, having appeared in two games throughout his rookie campaign, recording 32 rushing yards on 13 carries.
Ross Dwelley Ross Dwelley No targets in Week 15 Tue, Dec 10, 2024, 3:26 PM Dwelley went without a target while playing nine of the Falcons' 74 snaps on offense in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Vikings. Analysis: Dwelley has suited up for all 13 of the Falcons' games this season but has consistently played behind Kyle Pitts and Charlie Woerner as the team's No. 3 tight end. The 29-year-old has notched just one reception on the campaign, which came back in Week 11 in Denver.
Charlie Woerner Charlie Woerner Notches fourth reception of season Tue, Dec 10, 2024, 3:17 PM Woerner recorded an 11-yard reception while playing 35 of the Falcons' 74 snaps on offense in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Vikings. Analysis: Though starter Kyle Pitts (58 snaps) paced Atlanta tight ends in playing time after seeing his snap share dip to 39 percent during the Week 13 loss to the Chargers, Woerner's 35 snaps still placed him comfortably ahead of Ross Dwelley (nine snaps) for second among the position group. Woerner brings most of his value to the Falcons as a blocker, though he contributed his fourth reception of the season Sunday.
KhaDarel Hodge KhaDarel Hodge Barely plays on offense in loss Tue, Dec 10, 2024, 3:13 PM Hodge played one snap on offense and 14 on special teams in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Vikings. Analysis: Hodge was one of five wideouts active for Atlanta in Week 14, but he and practice-squad call-up Chris Blair combined to play just one snap on offense while the trio of Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray McCloud took on nearly all the available reps at receiver. Though the 29-year-old Hodge is expected to continue to suit up on game days, he'll continue to see most of his opportunities on the Falcons' kick coverage units.
Avery Williams Avery Williams Remains limited to special teams Tue, Dec 10, 2024, 3:09 PM Williams played all 24 of his snaps on special teams in Sunday's 42-21 loss to the Vikings, bringing back one punt for an 11-yard return. Analysis: The reserve running back logged 22 carries for Atlanta in 2022, but he's been deployed exclusively on special teams in 2024 with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier having both enjoyed good health this season. Williams has suited up in each of the Falcons' first 13 games and has gained 135 yards on 15 punt returns and 210 yards on 35 kickoff returns.