News Falcons Team Notes

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons vs. 49ers Week 7 Injury Report: Jalon Walker dealing with groin issue

We are back, as the Atlanta Falcons had a great game against the Buffalo Bills this past Monday, they now turn their sights to a Sunday night matchup with the San Francisco 49ers. The Falcons did have some injuries worth monitoring, so let’s take a look at where everyone is at as of Thursday.

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Falcons injury report

Full

• S Jordan Fuller (knee)

• EDGE Leonard Floyd (illness)

• DL LaCale London (triceps)

• DL Ta’Quon Graham (calf)

Limited

• WR Darnell Mooney (hamstring)

• TE Feleipe Franks (calf)

Did Not Practice

• EDGE Jalon Walker (groin)

• CB Clark Phillips III (triceps, illness)

• CB Billy Bowman Jr. (hamstring)

• WR Ray-Ray McCloud III (not injury related)

• OL Jake Matthews (ankle)

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49ers injury report

Full

• DT Kalia Davis (hand)

• DT Kevin Green (pectoral)

• QB Mac Jones (knee, oblique)

• RB Christian McCaffrey (rest)

• CB Upton Stout (shoulder)

• DE Mykel Williams (thumb)

Limited

• CB Renardo Green (neck)

• WR Juan Jennings (ankle, rib, shoulder)

• TE George Kittle (hamstring)

• WR Skyy Moore (ankle)

• OL Dominick Puni (knee)

• QB Brock Purdy (toe)

• WR Jordan Watkins (calf)

Did Not Practice

• DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee, hamstring)

• WR Ricky Pearsall (knee)

• WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (calf)

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Looking at the Falcons first, there are certainly some things to keep an eye on heading into Friday’s practice. Rookie EDGE rusher Jalon Walker is currently sidelined as he deals with a groin injury. Walker was also unable to practice on Wednesday, so unless he’s a full participant on Friday, it looks like he may be out this week. We will see. Left tackle Jake Matthews is also missing practice, as he is designated as day-to-day. Obviously, you want him out there when he feels healthy enough to play, but also Matthews has a record going currently of 180 consecutive starts, which is also the longest active streak in the NFL.

The 49ers have a very, very long injury report. Some key players to keep an eye on is receiver Ricky Pearsall, who has missed time with a knee injury; I personally don’t expect he will play. George Kittle, on the other hand, expects to. The quarterback position for the 49ers seems up in the air, as Brock Purdy is limited and could possibly return this week. Mac Jones has done a fine job in his place, but he’s practicing fully as he deals with knee and oblique injuries.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...-report-jalon-walker-dealing-with-groin-issue

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons WR Ray-Ray McCloud sent home, no return in sight

The Atlanta Falcons and Ray-Ray McCloud saga has been an odd one to track, and this newest update doesn’t inspire confidence that he’ll be back with the team any time soon.

Raheem Morris says WR Ray Ray McCloud was sent home. He said it was a private matter between the team and McCloud. Morris said he doesn’t know if McCloud will return. #Falcons

— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) October 17, 2025

Multiple rumors are circulating about the cause, but the only description we have from Raheem Morris is that it is a private matter between the player and the team, and they don’t know when he’ll be back. Morris also clarified that the issue is unrelated to the firing of former WR Coach Ike Hilliard, and said Friday that he excused the absence.

The wide receiver was a healthy scratch going into the Buffalo Bills game, which took many by surprise. McCloud has had a down year relative to his 2024 performance, where he set career highs more or less across the board. However, he has still offered value on special teams as a returner and remains one of the more dynamic receivers in the room, especially with Darnell Mooney out. However, if the Falcons were drawing up a run-heavy game plan, it is easy to see how he’s the most expendable player in that room.

It’s hard to draw any concrete conclusions about the issue, but it’s clear this professional relationship is not in a good place if a return is unknown. It’s good that the Falcons found success without McCloud against a formidable opponent, because it appears the team will have to continue without him for the time being.

From a production standpoint, this isn’t a significant loss, but McCloud seemed to be well respected in the locker room, and it’s unfortunate if this is the final chapter of his Falcons career. We’ll see what updates we get, if any, in the days ahead.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...-ray-ray-mccloud-sent-home-no-return-in-sight

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons vs. 49ers Week 7 Injury Report: Jake Matthews expected to play, Jalon Walker ruled out

Thank goodness it’s Friday! After a long week, the Atlanta Falcons and San Francisco 49ers have both wrapped up their practices for the week, and revealed their game designations so that we may have an idea of who will or will not play on Sunday night.

Let’s take a look!

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Falcons injury report

Full

• S Jordan Fuller (knee) OUT

• EDGE Leonard Floyd (illness)

• DL LaCale London (triceps)

• DL Ta’Quon Graham (calf) QUESTIONABLE

Limited

• TE Feleipe Franks (calf) QUESTIONABLE

• OL Jake Matthews (ankle) QUESTIONABLE

Did Not Practice

• EDGE Jalon Walker (groin) OUT

• CB Clark Phillips III (triceps, illness) OUT

• CB Billy Bowman Jr. (hamstring) OUT

• WR Ray-Ray McCloud III (not injury related) OUT

• WR Darnell Mooney (hamstring) QUESTIONABLE

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49ers injury report

*Thursday’s practice report

Full

• DT Kalia Davis (hand)

• DT Kevin Green (pectoral)

• QB Mac Jones (knee, oblique)

• RB Christian McCaffrey (rest)

• CB Upton Stout (shoulder)

• DE Mykel Williams (thumb)

Limited

• CB Renardo Green (neck)

• WR Juan Jennings (ankle, rib, shoulder)

• TE George Kittle (hamstring)

• WR Skyy Moore (ankle)

• OL Dominick Puni (knee)

• QB Brock Purdy (toe)

• WR Jordan Watkins (calf)

Did Not Practice

• DE Yetur Gross-Matos (knee, hamstring)

• WR Ricky Pearsall (knee)

• WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling (calf)

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We received some excellent news for the Falcons, as left tackle Jake Matthews is expected to play against the 49ers. Matthews left towards the end of the Falcons’ Monday night matchup against the Bills as he suffered an ankle injury. This is good news for the Falcons, but also good news for Matthews’ ongoing record of having 180 consecutive starts, which is the longest active streak currently in the NFL.

We did get some not-so-great news though, as rookie EDGE Jalon Walker will miss Sunday evening’s contest due to a groin issue. Receiver Darnell Mooney was limited this week with a hamstring injury, and on Friday was downgraded to not practicing. Even so, Mooney is listed as questionable, so likely a game-time decision for him again.

The 49ers have yet to release their injury report, so this will be updated later on.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...thews-expected-to-play-jalon-walker-ruled-out

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons vs. 49ers: A look at the series history going into 2025

The Falcons renew a rivalry against their old NFC West foes when they travel to The Bay for a date against the San Francisco 49ers. Geographically, it didn’t make much sense, but the Falcons and 49ers used to duke it out twice a year (and sometimes thrice) from 1967 until realignment moved the Birds to the NFC South in 2002.

As a result, there have been many matchups, and plenty of 49er triumphs, with San Francisco owning a 48-33-1 all time record. Atlanta was a direct division rival during the golden days in San Francisco and thus suffered plenty of defeat at the hands of Joe Montana and Steve Young.

The most success the Falcons found in this matchup was during the days of their own franchise legend at quarterback, with Steve Bartkowski leading them to six wins in seven tries from 1978 through 1981. The Niners didn’t take it lying down, however, as they responded by going 12-1-1 against the Birds from 1984 throughout the rest of the decade, behind Montana.

The Falcons have had a bit of recent success since leaving the NFC West, going 7-4 since realignment, including three wins in the last four games.

These old rivals met in the playoffs twice, sharing the spoils in two seasons where each one went to the Super Bowl. The “Dirty Birds” beat Steve Young 20-18 in the 1998 NFC Divisional Round before upsetting the Minnesota Vikings the next week, while San Fran wrote a gruesome chapter in the big book of Atlanta heartbreak lore behind Colin Kaepernick’s 17-point comeback to beat Matt Ryan and company in the 2012 NFC Championship.

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Last Meeting​

The 2-3 Falcons played host to the 3-2 Niners in a mid October showdown during the 2022 season, and they blitzed them right out of the gate in the first quarter, scoring two touchdowns — one offensive via a Marcus Mariota connection to MyCole Pruitt and one defense via a Jaylinn Hawkins fumble recovery — and taking a 14-0 lead before Kyle Shanahan’s team knew what hit them.

Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers, who would wind up with 13 wins and another NFC Championship appearance that season, fought right back with back to back touchdown drives in the second quarter to tie things up. That would wind up being their only firepower of the afternoon, however.

Atlanta returned the favor with back to back touchdown drives of their own, however, one on each side of the half, to take the 28-14 lead which would wind up being decisive.

These teams each left the Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 3-3 that day, but would go in completely different trajectories the rest of the way with San Fran rattling off 11 wins in the last 12 weeks, and Atlanta going 4-7 for a second consecutive seven win season.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...-a-look-at-the-series-history-going-into-2025

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Intriguing players to watch in Falcons vs. 49ers

The Atlanta Falcons face another primetime challenge when they travel to face the San Francisco 49ers for Sunday Night Football. The last time the Falcons were on the road in primetime, they came away with an impressive win over the Minnesota Vikings back in Week 2.

Can they repeat that success? If so, it’ll require improved play from some, while others need to maintain high-level play. That creates plenty of intrigue for this matchup, and thus, the task falls to me to name five Falcons who will captivate our attention on Sunday night.

Michael Penix​

Quarterback Michael Penix will need to improve his performance on the road if the Falcons want to continue climbing the standings to remain in playoff contention. The numbers for Penix at this early stage in his career have been poor when playing away from Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and that needs to change with the Falcons traveling five times over their next seven games.

Kyle Pitts​

Despite tight end Kyle Pitts being off to arguably the best start of his NFL career, he had a quiet night this past week against the Buffalo Bills. Fortunately for the Falcons offense, Bijan Robinson and Drake London dominated enough to make the need for Pitts to contribute minimal. However, getting Pitts more involved this week against the 49ers could be very effective, especially given the absence of future Hall-of-Fame linebacker Fred Warner due to a season-ending injury.

Warner’s absence should create a void in the middle of that 49ers defense that a player like Pitts could help exploit. That could do wonders for Penix and the Falcons’ passing game.

Jake Matthews​

Another thing that could do wonders for Penix’s success on Sunday will be having the presence of left tackle Jake Matthews on the field. The veteran tackle’s 183-game active consecutive-starts streak is in jeopardy, as Matthews is questionable for this 49ers game due to an ankle injury he suffered this past Monday.

While head coach Raheem Morris has expressed optimism about Matthews’s chances of playing against the 49ers, it’s still a game-time decision. And even if Matthews plays, will playing on a bum ankle make him less effective than we’re used to from the usually steady left tackle? That could have a dramatic impact on this matchup.

Divine Deablo​

Steady play is precisely what the Falcons have seen from linebacker Divine Deablo, which has already earned his status as a homerun free-agent signing this season, mostly because he has answered every challenge put in front of him thus far this year. However, on Sunday Night, he’ll have the potential to add two more notches to his belt if he can help keep 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey and tight end George Kittle.

McCaffrey leads NFL running backs in receiving yards, and Kittle is expected to make his triumphant return to the lineup after missing five weeks due to a hamstring injury. It’ll take a group effort by the entire Falcons defense to keep both All-Pros in check, but Deablo will be at the heart of those efforts.

Dee Alford​

Nickel cornerback Dee Alford will also play a part in keeping the 49ers’ playmakers in check, with the corner expected to make his second consecutive start filling in for injured rookie starter Billy Bowman. Alford is coming off one of the best games of his career, where he tallied a sack, interception, and multiple pass breakups. Alford’s improved play thus far this season makes him one of several players who have benefited the most from the presence of defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.

The nickel cornerback won’t figure too prominently into Ulbrich’s gameplan this weekend, since the 49ers are among a handful of teams that use three-wide receivers on less than half of their offensive snaps. But when the 49ers do utilize it, it’s been very effective, ranking in the top 10 in expected points added per pass, according to SumerSports. Alford’s ability to follow up with another strong performance will help limit the 49ers’ effectiveness and help boost the Falcons’ chances of walking away with another win on the road.

Can you name any more Falcons that intrigue you in this 49ers matchup? Who else needs to step up or continue to play at a high level for the Falcons to walk away with another road win in primetime?

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...tch-san-francisco-49ers-sunday-night-football

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Week 7 snap reactions: Falcons volatility continues to undo them

The Atlanta Falcons sputtered on primetime and couldn’t keep their hype train rolling. The offense is a mystery box every drive, but the defense managed to put up a fight with one of their strongest soldiers MIA.

Here’s the Week 7 Snap Reactions.

Devine Deablo goes down​

The Falcons new star linebacker and key defensive contributor went down early in this game and would not return due to a forearm injury. Deablo’s loss was felt immediately; the middle of the field became the top target for Kyle Shanahan’s offense. JD Bertarnd was the primary backup, and the second-year ILB did not fill in well.

To be fair, Christian McCaffery is a tough draw, but it’s a next man up business. The Falcons are going to have to figure out a temporary solution if Deablo can’t go next week, and by solution, I mean wake up Troy Andersen from hibernation.

Pass protection showing signs of cracks​

Bryce Huff bends and gets the strip sack on Penix!

ATLvsSF on NBC
Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/5mCZSNjuK6

— NFL (@NFL) October 20, 2025

The line started well, but tonight’s game and last week’s against Buffalo have shown that this offensive line is going to struggle against teams that are above average in terms of getting to the quarterback. The protection Penix has become accustomed to isn’t there, and the quarterback is starting to get jittery, even when pressure isn’t significant. Sacks are a quarterback stat just as much as they are an offensive line one.

Penix did hold the ball at times and drew an awful intentional grounding penalty, but ZRob is going to have to start taking extra measures to protect the quarterback.

Compounding errors​

Whenever this team starts to accumulate one or two mistakes, they seemingly come in bunches after that. The Falcons went weeks without procedural issues, but they reared their ugly head again. Blown assignments soon follow, and before you know it, you’re lined up in the gun on 4th and 1 with no Bijan on the field and the game on the line.

Maybe this team really hates playing on the road, who knows? The only thing that’s been consistent is their inconsistent play.

More Kyle Pitts​

Kyle Pitts was open a lot tonight, and it would’ve been nice to see him used more like Kyle Pitts and less like Ray-Ray McCloud. Coming into the game, Pitts leads the Falcons in EPA/target against man, and yet he is an afterthought when it comes to scheming up plays that take advantage of that skill.

Pitts had more key blocks tonight, and he’s executing exactly what’s asked of him, but it’s time to mix up the menu and get him some different looks and get him involved even more. Penix should be going to him on 3rd and long, not Casey Washington.

An up-and-down team​

The Falcons are their record. It’s been a tale of two seasons. In three wins, we’ve seen running dominance and a quarterback that can deliver the ball to his playmakers. In three losses, the offense has hardly looked functional outside of Bijan Robinson. Even with the loss of Devine Deablo, the defense did enough to give Zac Robinson’s offense a shot tonight. Unfortunately, this unit can’t shake its two-faced persona, and it’s dragging down the team. Raheem Morris has been quick to pull weeds this year, and we’ll see if he pulls another one.

The Falcons two-game winning streak has come to an end on primetime. It was another uninspiring performance from the offense, while the defense fought valiantly. Atlanta has to shake this loss off and get back above .500 next week.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...-volatility-continues-to-undo-them-kyle-pitts