News Falcons Team Notes

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons cut returner Jamal Agnew, place KhaDarel Hodge on injured reserve

With three games to go, the Falcons are washing their hands of the man who was supposed to help fix a moribund return game in 2025. Jamal Agnew did not provide that kind of help, and after costly miscues and a lot of forgettable returns, the team announced Saturday that they’ve cut him. Veteran cornerback CJ Henderson is the corresponding signing, as he’ll join the active roster from the practice squad.

#Falcons roster moves:

— Released WR and returner Jamal Agnew
— Signed CB CJ Henderson to active roster
— Elevated EDGE Khalid Kareem from PS
— Elevated WR Chris Blair from PS

— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) December 20, 2025

Atlanta also placed KhaDarel Hodge on injured reserve yesterday, robbing them of a Pro Bowl special teamer when special teams has been a nightmare all year, and signed safety and special teamer Jammie Robinson to the active roster.

The Falcons also announced that Chris Blair and Khalid Kareem are up from the practice squad for Sunday to cap off a busy two-day stretch of moves.

We’ll start with the Agnew news, which is surprising only because the Falcons made the move in-season instead of simply letting him walk in the offseason. Agnew joined as a legitimately interesting returner, a one-time All-Pro and one-time Pro Bowler who averaged 10.3 yards per punt return and 26.1 yards per kick return as recently as 2023. We knew health would be an issue for him, but as an occasionally useful gadget player on offense with a track record of quality work on special teams—he has six combined career touchdowns on returns!—Agnew seemed likely to help with the team’s return woes.

Instead, Agnew’s 2025 will go down as a disaster. His 7.6 yards per punt return and 24.7 yards per kick return are both the third-worst single season averages of his career; he’s 54th in the NFL in kick return average and only seven players have averaged few punt return yards. In addition, Agnew has had costly miscues that range from merely frustrating (slipping on a return) to catastrophic (muffing a punt near his own end zone). The Falcons, under fire from all angles for their special teams sloppiness this year, finally made Agnew inactive against the Buccaneers and have now decided to cut ties with him entirely. Agnew has been a terrific returner in his career, but given his lack of usage on offense and how putrid his 2025 had been, this is not going to be the kind of cut that impacts the Falcons. The only oddity, again, is the timing, given that the season is nearly over.

The addition in Agnew’s place is Henderson. I would expect undrafted rookie Cobee Bryant to draw the start tomorrow against the Cardinals, given that he hung tough and showed some ability despite a rough day against the Buccaneers, but Henderson will be in the mix for playing time given his experience and the fact that the coaching staff talked him up earlier in the year. Jammie Robinson, meanwhile, will probably keep adding to his plate on special teams with Hodge out, given that the Falcons are trying to avoid special teams struggles over the final three weeks.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...te-two-players-from-the-practice-cj-henderson

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Intriguing players to watch in Falcons vs. Cardinals

Several Atlanta Falcons players have a chance to finish the 2025 season strong, which will carry ramifications fo both the team and those individual players entering the 2026 offseason. That creates a lot of intrigue for this Week 16 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Thus, I’m tasked with naming five, and only five, Falcons who are the most intriguing for Sunday’s action.

Kirk Cousins​

First up is Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, who has made a name for himself beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during his short stint as the Falcons’ starter the past two seasons. His numbers versus the Bucs are impressive, but range from ordinary to underwhelming against most of the remaining competition he’s seen as a Falcon.

Cousins still wants to be a full-time starter in the NFL in 2026, and that likely won’t come in Atlanta, given the presence of Michael Penix, even if the latter won’t be available for Week 1 next season. So Cousins has an opportunity to audition for other NFL teams and really needs to raise his profile by impressing against defenses that Todd Bowles doesn’t coordinate. He’ll get another chance this weekend in Arizona.

Kyle Pitts​

Like Cousins, Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts is also coming off a monster game against the Bucs under the bright lights. With another prolific tight end in Arizona’s Trey McBride also taking the field on Sunday, Pitts has another opportunity to increase his profile. McBride is one of the NFL’s highest-paid tight ends, averaging $19 million per year on a deal he signed earlier this year. Should Pitts prove to be the more productive tight end on the field in this battle, it could do wonders for his price tag as an impending free agent.

However, the biggest challenge to Pitts’ production won’t be coming from the Cardinals’ sideline, but his own. Wide receiver Drake London is expected back in the lineup, and the Pitts’ production with and without him in the lineup is stark. In the 9 games they’ve played together, Pitts averages four catches for 42 yards on six targets. Meanwhile, with London out of the lineup for five games, Pitts averages seven catches for 84 yards on nine targets. Pitts has also generated eight of his 12 explosive plays of 20-plus yards without London on the field.

While both players can clearly coexist in the offense, Pitts consistently gets the shorter end of the stick in terms of being a featured weapon. Should that continue as both players close out the season, that has to factor into the Falcons’ calculus if they are going to make him one of the NFL’s highest-paid tight ends after the season.

Chris Lindstrom​

In contrast to Pitts, Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom’s financial future is secure since he is wrapping up the third year of a five-year contract extension he signed back in 2023. However, this Cardinals matchup is going to be an important one for him since he’ll be squaring off with a former teammate in Calais Campbell, who, despite his advanced age, is still a disruptive presence along the defensive line. He’s joined by 2025 first-round pick Walter Nolen, giving the Cardinals a formidable pair along the interior.

If the Falcons want to keep Cousins protected as well as get running back Bijan Robinson going in the ground game, Lindstrom is going to have to spearhead those efforts. According to PFF, he’s given up a career-high 35 pressures this year, tied for the second most among guards this season, and there are still three games to go. Injuries and right tackle Kaleb McGary’s absence have contributed to Lindstrom’s woes, issues that hopefully will get corrected in 2026. But a strong finish this season, starting with this Cardinals matchup, from the Falcons’ Pro Bowl guard is welcome.

James Pearce Jr.​

Falcons rookie pass rusher James Pearce continues to rack up production as of late, recording a sack in six straight games. He has another opportunity to do so against Arizona, who will be without starting left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., meaning that both starting tackles for the Cardinals are backups, with right tackle Jonah Williams already down for the count. This makes for a golden opportunity for Pearce to do something that hasn’t been done this century, which is to be the first rookie pass rusher to tally a sack in seven straight games.

The last time it was done was by Jevon Kearse back in 1999, who ultimately had an eight-game sack streak. Should Pearce continue to worm his way into NFL record books, it’ll make the controversial decision to trade away a 2026 first-round pick for him a lot less contentious.

Cobee Bryant​

Fellow 2025 rookie in cornerback Cobee Bryant also has an opportunity in this Cardinals game. He’ll have a chance for a rebound game after a rough night last week against the Bucs, now that starting cornerback Mike Hughes is out of the lineup. If he does, it’ll do a lot to bolster this 2025 rookie haul from general manager Terry Fontenot, which will play a role in the latter’s future with the franchise. But more importantly, a strong finish from Bryant could give the Falcons another option at the cornerback position heading into 2026.

The starting spot opposite cornerback A.J. Terrell has been a revolving door since he arrived in Atlanta back in 2020, and it should be a priority to upgrade this offseason. However, the Falcons’ resources are limited due to the Pearce trade. The team may be forced to use their top selection on a cornerback if they hope to find a starting option for Week 1 in 2026. But should Bryant perform well to close out the season in Hughes’ stead, it might give them a bit more flexibility with how they can utilize their limited resources.

Can you name any more Falcons that intrigue you heading into this Cardinals matchup?

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...lcons-vs-cardinals-kyle-pitts-chris-lindstrom

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons RB Bijan Robinson makes Sundays worth it and other Week 16 snap reactions

The Atlanta Falcons get out of the desert with their first road win against the Arizona Cardinals in over 20 years. Bijan Robinson became the third Falcon in team history to hit the 2,000 scrimmage yard mark. A Falcons win should feel better than it currently does, but the win still feels good. Here are the Week 16 snap reactions.

Bijan Robinson is one of a kind​

Bijan Robinson eclipses 2,000 yards from scimmage on this run

ATLvsAZ on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/y3WOIpwGHk

— NFL (@NFL) December 21, 2025

This is going to be the running back this current generation of young fans remembers for the rest of their days. And I don’t just mean Falcons fans, I mean NFL fans across the globe. Bijan is the most undeniable talent the team has had since Julio Jones, and we’re only three years into his career.

Do whatever it takes to keep this man in Atlanta. Pay him early and pay him what he wants. Allow him to use team funds for a Hollywood biopic starring Matthew McConaughey as Zac Robinson. Whatever the price, he’s worth it.

Two birds that hate special teams​

It’s not often a competitor tries to challenge the Falcons for the worst special teams performance of the day, but the Cardinals rose to the occasion. Atlanta had an extra point blocked by the legend Calias Campbell, who now has 11 blocked kicks in his career. However, the Cardinals delivered a doink, a kickoff slip (which led to a penalty), and a field goal shank to edge out the Falcons in the special teams snafu department.

Brandon Dorlus, the next great Falcons DT?​

In his first season cut loose, Dorlus has more sacks in a single season than Grady Jarrett did during his Falcons career. The defensive tackle is just behind the team lead in sacks and is looking like one of the biggest steals of the 2024 draft. Dorlus isn’t perfect; he can be moved in the run.

Still, we’ve seen his explosiveness lead to TFLs, and with another offseason to build his base up, he could become a more effective three-down player. He’s not a household name yet, but he’s heading in the right direction.

That's the EIGHTH sack of the year for @brandon_dorlus!

The leader among NFC interior D-Linemen

FOX | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/5RYgh2PvGg

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 21, 2025

Execution errors remain​

The Falcons still can’t manage to play a clean game. Penalties and mistakes happen, but the Falcons continue to make the same ones, and that is nothing short of a cardinal sin in the game of football. We already touched on the special teams issues, and the offense took part as usual as well. A motion error on fourth down opened the door for an Arizona comeback. It’s clear that Atlanta had more talent than the Cardinals today, but you can’t say the same about the coaching.

Is it gonna happen?​

Some of you can already see that “The Atlanta Falcons have elected to retain HC Raheem Morris” notification. The Falcons have won two games in a row, the third time they’ve done so this season. The team will have a chance to show that they can sustain success with two more games left on the schedule. Regardless of whether they win or lose, the season ends against the Saints. While some fans hope that fact carries more weight than this final stretch, history tells us that Arthur Blank believes momentum carries over to the next season (despite that never happening here).

The Falcons will have a real test on Monday Night Football. They’ll play the Los Angeles Rams, a team Atlanta will be linked to for a long time after the 2025 draft trade that landed James Pearce Jr.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...d-other-week-16-snap-reactions-brandon-dorlus

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Bijan Robinson becomes third Falcon ever to hit 2,000 scrimmage yards

While casually eviscerating the Arizona Cardinals defense in Week 16, Bijan Robinson made a little franchise history. The gifted running back exceeded 2,000 scrimmage yards on the season, becoming just the third Falcon to do so.

He joins franchise record holder William Andrews, who did it twice and has the team’s single season record with 2,176 yards, and Jamal Anderson on that very exclusive leaderboard. With two games to go, it’s likely that Robinson is going to be the new single season record holder for the Falcons when all is said and done.

It’s been a remarkable season for Bijan, who was good his rookie year, superb in his second season, and even better in this third year. He’s been the most consistent, effective piece of the offense and really the team in 2025, lethal as a receiving option and nigh-unstoppable for long stretches on the ground, and the player the Falcons very clearly plan to continue to build this offense around for as long as they possibly can.

Congratulations to Bijan, and we’ll find out over the next two games if he can break Andrews’ career mark.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...r-to-hit-2000-scrimmage-yards-william-andrews

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Atlanta Falcons Highlight Reel vs. Cardinals: Welcome Home, Bijan!

This has been a rocky season. Another forgettable chapter in a long run of forgettable seasons for the Atlanta Falcons.

But this win felt good.

Not because it nudged the first-round pick owed to the Los Angeles Rams back out of the top ten, at least for now. Not because wins are hard to come by in the NFL — a reality this franchise finds new ways to remind its fans of every single week. And certainly not because a late-season stack of victories might buy this coaching staff another shot at things come 2027.

No, this win felt good because Bijan Robinson had the game of his life just two hours from his hometown of Tucson, Arizona.

The Falcons’ borderline All-Pro running back cemented himself as one of the most electric, exhilarating, must-watch players this franchise has ever had — doing it in his home state, on a national stage, with everything finally clicking at once.

Nobody deserves the spotlight more than Robinson does. And in this highlight reel — damn it — we’re giving it to him.

Bijan wills the Falcons into the end zone in just three plays​

Step one: Give Bijan the ball through the air and let him make a man miss for 41 yards.

Step two: Give Bijan the ball on the ground and let him barrel through three grown men on the way to a new set of downs.

41-yard reception
11-yard run
13-yard TD reception

@Bijan5Robinson

FOX | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/t0ofsTW8nw

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 21, 2025

Step three: Give Bijan the ball in open space and simply let him outrun the Cardinals defense for a 13-yard touchdown.

Just give the ball to @Bijan5Robinson

FOX | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/evFzknqWcz

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 21, 2025

Any questions?

Kyle Pitts continues insane stretch with another TD​

Kyle Pitts, fresh off a historic performance on Thursday, followed it up with yet another touchdown, his fourth in two weeks.

Another week, another @kylepitts__ TD

FOX | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/H74ZqTS1Db

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 21, 2025

The only other Falcons tight end to have four receiving touchdowns in two weeks?
Alge Crumpler in 2006.

Kyle Pitts has recorded a total of four receiving touchdowns in his last two games, tied for the most by any Falcons TE in a two-game span all-time.

Alge Crumpler did so in 2006. pic.twitter.com/xXmOi90aCi

— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) December 21, 2025

Bijan Robinson joins Falcons legends as he hits 2K scrimmage yards​

Mr. Robinson has joined a coveted group of Falcons elite running backs as he surpassed 2,000 scrimmage yards in a single season. The only other Falcons to do it: William Andrews in 1981 and 1983, and Jamal Anderson in 1998.

B2K @Bijan5Robinson pic.twitter.com/hu84CAwnNd

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 21, 2025

Since 2020, only six players have been able to surpass 2,000 scrimmage yards:

• Derrick Henry (2020, 2024)
• Jonathan Taylor (2021)
• Christian McCaffrey (2023)
• Saquon Barkley (2024) and now
• Bijan Robinson (2025)

Kirk Cousins does it himself to put Falcons up two scores​

After a Bijan Robinson 29-yard burst put the Falcons on the doorstep of scoring again, Atlanta was looking for any way possible to get into the end zone. Even going so far as to attempt to get ‘The Ironman’ Jake Matthews a chance to get his first receiving touchdown of his career. So, instead, Kirk Cousins found his way into the end zone from a yard out.

What @DrakeLondon_ said! pic.twitter.com/HxCzyzV4Q7

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 21, 2025

It’s not the same, but Pearce, Jr. did get on the board again​

A half-sack doesn’t feel the same, but Pearce didn’t have a full donut on the board at the end of this one, getting a half-sack alongside interior wrecking ball, Brandon Dorlus. That half-sack does technically put him ahead of Micah Parsons’ 2021 rookie season with a seven-game streak of having something on the board in the sack column.

But he does join rarified air in the sense that the only players since 1995 to have 8 sacks in the matter of 7 games during their rookie season:

• Hugh Douglas (1995)
• Jevon Kearse (1999)
• Julius Peppers (2002)
• Dwight Freeney (2002)
• Carlos Dunlap (2010)
• Bradley Chubb (2018)
• Micah Parsons (2021)
• James Houston (2022) and now,
• James Pearce, Jr. (2025)

C.J. Henderson calls game with game-sealing interception​

There’s always that feeling when a team has the ball late against the Falcons that they will just find a way into the end zone and ruin what was once a fun Sunday for Atlanta fans. Instead, C.J. Henderson beats wide receiver Michael Wilson to the spot on the sideline to seal this game for the Falcons. Moving them to 6-9 on the season.

CJ HENDERSON CLUTCH INT

ATLvsAZ on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/KzR1VCYn5Q

— NFL (@NFL) December 22, 2025

Other Notables​

• Tyler Allgeier and Bijan Robinson both eclipsed the 75-yard mark on Sunday, the 2nd time it happened this season (Week 2 vs. Minnesota).
  • The last time two backs had 75+ yards apiece?
    • 2010 – Jason Snelling & Michael Turner vs. the Arizona Cardinals.
  • The last time it happened multiple times in a season?
    • 2008, with Jerious Norwood and Michael Turner.
• Bijan leads the league with 6 games of 150+ scrimmage yards and is one of three players to have 10 games with 100+ scrimmage yards (Christian McCaffrey – 10, James Cook – 12)
• The Atlanta Falcons’ defense has 50 sacks on the season for the first time in almost 30 years. The Falcons are only 5 sacks away from tying their franchise record of 55 set in 1997.
• Brandon Dorlus is 2nd among DT in sacks with 7.5, only trailing Tennessee’s Jeffrey Simmons (9.0)

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...ighlight-reel-vs-cardinals-welcome-home-bijan

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons stars lit up the desert in the Week 16 3 up and 3 down

The Atlanta Falcons aren’t going out quietly, and their best players are leading the effort. A few new faces have cracked the list in both columns after the team’s first road win in Arizona in over 20 years. Here’s the Week 16 3 up and 3 down.

3 up​

Kyle Pitts​

Yesterday was the 1st time in Kyle Pitts' career that he scored a touchdown in back to back games pic.twitter.com/xL2GCf5RM6

— Tre’Shon (@tre3shon) December 22, 2025

For the first time in his career, Kyle Pitts scored a touchdown in back-to-back games. Pitts has been operating as the top receiving threat while Drake London has been managing an injury, and the hot streak continued in Arizona. Pitts is the first Falcons tight end with four touchdowns in two games since Alge Crumpler.

After Sunday’s game, Pitts is second among all tight ends in targets (106), receptions (80), and receiving yards (854). Pitts has finally had the breakout fans have been waiting for, but is it too late when considering his future status with the team?

C.J. Henderson​

Henderson was signed late in camp and has bounced around the practice squad. His number was called yesterday, and the cornerback did not waste his opportunity. Henderson replaced Cobee Byrant in the first quarter and played a clean game, totaling 36 snaps.

He sealed the victory for the Falcons with a perfectly timed break on the ball, which led to his first interception since 2022 and only the 4th of his career. Henderson doesn’t turn 28 until next September, and now he’ll have a chance to audition for a job in 2026.

Bijan Robinson​

smooth operator pic.twitter.com/GrHKOlOFsv

— Tre’Shon (@tre3shon) December 22, 2025

The best running back in football joined an exclusive club with his sublime performance in the state where he grew up. Robinson is only the 3rd player in Falcons history to hit the 2,000 scrimmage yard mark, and it only took 15 games. We’ve seen Bijan evolve every season, and the film shows that there’s still meat left on the bone.

The team’s record will keep him out of it, but he should be at the forefront of the Offensive Player of the Year race. We are witnessing a special player, so make sure you appreciate him while he’s still in the red and black.

3 Down​

Drake London​

The team’s WR1 made his return, but it appeared to be a week too soon. London looked uncomfortable even on catches when he was untouched; it was evident the injury was still nagging him. He was still able to haul in a few passes but was a non-factor for most of the game.

His competitive mindset is appreciated, but this was a game where the team’s staff should’ve stepped in and not risked further injury. Risking him against the 3-11 Cardinals was unnecessary.

Jake Matthews​

Matthews is gonna think about this drop for a long time pic.twitter.com/lvMzzVeaxE

— Tre’Shon (@tre3shon) December 22, 2025

It was a rough game for the franchise’s iron man. Matthews surrendered a sack early and was the one responsible for Calais Campbell breaking free to block Atlanta’s extra point try. To add insult to injury, Matthews dropped a wide-open touchdown, and it’s hard to imagine another shot at one is coming his way.

While he’s been stable most of the year, age is starting to show. The Matthews’ bloodlines may put up the strongest fight Father Time has ever faced, but he will eventually win the fight.

Cobee Bryant​

One thing that every cornerback needs is luck, and Bryant appears to have none. Michael Wilson hauled in one of the most improbable touchdown catches of the year, and it cost Bryant his snaps for the rest of the game. His replacement, C.J. Henderson, sealed the game and likely Bryant’s starting status for the rest of the season, pending the return of Mike Hughes. Bryant has been in position all season, but he’s failed to make the play in these tough spots. He’s not a lost cause, but it’s clear that the young defensive back needs more time to develop.

It’s always nice to get a win and have an enjoyable Sunday of football. The Falcons will have an extra day of prep for their final primetime game of the year against the Rams.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...-16-3-up-and-3-down-bijan-robinson-kyle-pitts

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Bijan Robinson and Chris Lindstrom make Pro Bowl for 2025 season

The Atlanta Falcons have had a season that fell well short of expectations, but a pair of their stars have received recognition for their 2025 campaigns even so.

On Tuesday, we learned that Bijan Robinson and Chris Lindstrom had both been voted into the Pro Bowl. It’s not a particularly surprising honor for either player, but it is a deserved one.

Our Pro Bowlers @C_Lindstrom63 x @Bijan5Robinson pic.twitter.com/TK6bgHDcFy

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) December 23, 2025

Robinson is on his way to an all-time season. He’s the current leader in yards from scrimmage leaguewide and is on the cusp of breaking William Andrews’ franchise record for yards from scrimmage. He’s fifth in rushing yardage, is second in receiving yardage from a running back, and has scored a combined nine times; Bijan is also fourth in the NFL in broken tackles and is fifth in yards after contact. Robinson has put together one of the better seasons in team history with two games to go and one of the better seasons in the NFL, and on top of the statistical output, his ability to juke, jump cut, and simply outrun defenders has made him a joy to watch.

This will not go down as Lindstrom’s best year, but Pro Football Focus credits him with just one sack on the year even so, and it goes without saying that his run blocking is among the very best in the NFL. Lindstrom is going to be here every year on reputation alone, of course, but even a slight down year for him where he’s bookended by a new starter at center and a third string right tackle is one of the better seasons any guard could dream of having. On a line that might be making significant changes soon, he is the lone lock to be here for a long while, and one of the best guards the Falcons have ever had.

Congratulations to both players, and hopefully next year a winning Atlanta team earns more recognition and more berths for deserving Falcons.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...chris-lindstrom-make-pro-bowl-for-2025-season

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

How the Falcons produced an unexpected 50-sack season

The last time the Falcons were considered to have a respectable pass rush was in 2017. They finished 13th in the league in sacks with 39. With a coalescence of rising young talent and stout veterans, it was a group built to compete in the trenches against the best. Grady Jarrett, Vic Beasley, and Takk McKinley provided the juice to produce drive-ending stops. Dontari Poe, Adrian Clayborn, Brooks Reed, Derrick Shelby, Ahtyba Rubin, and Courtney Upshaw solidified the rotation with power and discipline to knock offensive lines backwards. It was a fascinating group that helped lift the offense up during setbacks to get the Falcons back into the playoffs.

They haven’t come close to having that amount of talent on the defensive line since, which is one of the primary reasons why they haven’t made the playoffs since. Raheem Morris was on that staff as a wide receivers coach and passing game coordinator. He knows how crucial it is to be well-equipped on the defensive line. He witnessed what can happen when you aren’t between the end of the Dan Quinn-Thomas Dimitroff era and last season, where the defensive line had eight players who were 28 years old or older.

A sluggish front with declining players is a recipe for disaster. It cost the Falcons last season, leading to an offseason where a total revamp was required. Led by the returning Jeff Ulbrich, a full commitment was needed to acquire pass rushers and develop young talent. They couldn’t rely on one established edge rusher or attempt to see if some mid-round pick can emerge to be the focal point.

It was time to do everything possible for quarterbacks to feel uneasy standing in the pocket when facing Atlanta. While the approach was costly, the Falcons have hit the 50-sack total for only the second time in franchise history. Here is how they accomplished such a massive feat, which felt impossible to attain for years.

It starts with coaching​

The defensive coaching staff has implemented an aggressive philosophy to elevate young players, while devising overwhelming blitz designs and using simulated pressures. There is a clear plan to develop each player and maximize their respective skill sets. It must be acknowledged how influential some of the game plans have been in certain games in bringing out the best in a group without a true dominant pass-rushing force yet. Whether it’s never allowing Josh Allen to get comfortable or forcing Drake Maye to panic in the pocket, the Falcons have rattled some of the top quarterbacks in the league.

Unleashing Kaden Elliss with a more concerted plan has given them a greater platform to create mismatches and have opposing signal callers guessing. While Elliss shone as a blitzer last year, it mostly came from blitzing through the A or B gap. Ulbrich has moved him around the line of scrimmage on twists to cause chaos with different edge rushers or interior tackles.

Elliss is an incredibly savvy player with a high football IQ. Inserting ways for him to be consistently involved in the pass-rushing plan has been an integral part of their success. From using Divine Deablo and Dee Alford, or Billy Bowman Jr., as blitzers through the B-gap, to moving around James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker in various ways, Ulbrich has been masterful in navigating how he wants to attack offensive lines with smart, physical players beyond relying on a standard four-man rush.

The terrific defensive coaching goes beyond schematic improvements. Defensive line coach Nate Ollie has made his mark. His influence speaks volumes when Khalid Kareem comes off the practice squad to play only his second game this season, generating multiple pressures against Arizona, including one that allowed Arnold Ebiketie to earn the clean-up sack. Brandon Dorlus recently spoke about the importance of working together collectively to have the second-most sacks in the league.

The coaching staff has instilled a strong belief within the group up front that they can impose their will by being unified and attack-minded. It has translated into being six sacks away from surpassing the single-season franchise sack record set in 1997.

Edge rushing investments​

No matter how well-constructed your scheme is, an effective pass rush requires capable edge rushers who possess the power and explosiveness to generate pressure. You need them to be able to convert speed to power. The ability to win with a blistering get-off, violent hand usage, and bend around the edge is essential. The knack of chasing down quarterbacks with a relentless motor is invaluable. For the Falcons to have formed a group of Pearce Jr., Walker, Ebiketie, and Leonard Floyd has been pivotal in their growth as a unit.

Although Walker and Floyd have endured injuries this season, they have still managed to make their mark in numerous games, collectively challenging opposing offensive lines. The way they set the tone in a hostile environment against Minnesota laid out what they are capable of. Regardless of what the Vikings have become, it was early in the season when they commanded enormous respect for what they accomplished in 2024 thanks to one of the best coaches in the league. A six-sack demolition in primetime led to terrific performances against Buffalo, New England, and Indianapolis, where they flustered three prolific offenses with the edge rushers posing problems in a plethora of ways.

Pearce Jr.’s ascendance in the second half of the season has been eye-opening, mostly with how he’s winning individual matchups with a pure bull rush, clever hand usage, and swift moves. Per TruMedia, he ranks 19th in pressure rate among players with more than 200 pass-rushing snaps. Although Walker hasn’t been quite as impactful in recent weeks, he was at the forefront of their success in the high-profile matchups against AFC opposition. Between his rapid movement off the edge and his versatility lining up around the line of scrimmage, there are many ways he can impact games.

What Floyd and Ebiketie have done to complement them has been invaluable in not forcing the rookies to play 35-40 snaps a game from the start. The Falcons didn’t have many options off the edge for countless seasons over the past decade. What they did this season has been massive in not only maintaining a strong dosage of pass-rushing options but, also, allowing their two rookie edge rushers to develop gradually without being overly relied upon.

Interior growth​

Although the success hasn’t quite materailized how the coaching staff envisioned it, the interior rotation has generated its share of pressure to produce moments of destruction. David Onyemata’s influence can’t be discounted following a down year. His resurgence in overwhelming guards and being more than willing to dish out punishment on stunts to free up space for whoever lines up alongside him has been noteworthy. Every productive defensive line needs at least one veteran presence. For the Falcons to have Onyemata and Floyd gives them the experience to run a wide variety of pressure concepts with younger players with precision.

One of those younger players has been Dorlus, who currently leads the NFC in sacks for an interior defensive lineman. What he has done to convert a productive preseason into sustainable success is hugely impressive. When watching him battle in the trenches, it doesn’t take long to recognize his tremendous work ethic. How he gains leverage with his pad level, uses his hands effectively, and never gives up on plays has elevated him toward being a key player within the group. Despite injuries derailing his season, Zach Harrison deserves praise for finding his niche as an interior rusher while still being capable as an edge defender. If he can stay healthy, there is no telling what he can become with his long arms and impressive technique.

Why the coaching staff won’t feel completely satisfied is Ruke Orhorhoro’s lack of progression. Considering the organization traded up to select him in the second round last year, there hasn’t much to suggest the move was worth it. Orhorhoro hasn’t won enough pure matchups consistently on passing downs. Given the lack of a true nose tackle on the roster who can take on double teams, Orhorhoro was bound to struggle handling that responsibility. For him not to offer much as a pass rusher, outside of being effective on stunts, is concerning.

Not every player will make strides or maintain a certain high level of play on the defensive line. There is still hope for Orhorhoro in a slightly reduced role or playing alongside someone bigger than Onyemata to lessen the amount of double teams he has taken on this season. Regardless of what happens with his development, the rise of Dorlus and Harrison to pair with Pearce Jr. and Walker creates an exciting future ahead for the defensive front.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...ed-50-sack-season-brandon-dorlus-kaden-elliss

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons can’t let final games be referendum on Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot

Right before the deeply embarrassing season finale in 2023, where the Falcons were blown out by the New Orleans Saints to seal up a third consecutive 7-10 season, I wrote that Arthur Blank should have already known Arthur Smith’s fate. To me, that meant that if Blank was going to keep Smith based on a body of work that spanned 50 games at that point, a pummeling at the hands of the Saints shouldn’t change that; ditto in the opposite direction if the Falcons had dragged themselves to 8-9 by beating New Orleans. We know now that Smith was fired as the Falcons pursued Bill Belichick and then pivoted to hiring Raheem Morris; what we may never know is to what degree that final loss impacted the decision.

I bring this up now because the Falcons are at another pivot point, with Blank reportedly still deciding the fates of head coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot. He’s going to make a decision at season’s end, with at least some kind of unspecified changes to football operations on the table and the outside consulting firm Sportology doing a “health check” on the franchise’s operations, but we don’t have a real great sense of which way he’s leaning outside of Morris repeatedly talking about next year as though he’ll be here and a recent report from insider James Palmer that sources around the league expect the Falcons to move on.

Regardless of what that decision is, I’m going to once again urge Blank not to let it hinge on the final few games of this season. Here’s why.

We already did this in 2020​

Remember the 2019 season? The Falcons started the year 1-7 before going 6-2 in the second half to finish the season at 7-9, the team’s second straight losing season. At the time, I was urging Blank to fire Dan Quinn because of how unbelievably sloppy and listless the team was, but for some strange reason the owner was not inclined to listen to me. The Falcons then surprised a good Saints team, beat a (at the time) 5-4 Panthers team and then beat them again at 5-7, impressively knocked off a great 49ers squad, stomped a crummy Jaguars team, and triumphed over a mediocre Bucs squad in overtime in the season finale to finish 7-9.

Despite the couple of quality wins, it seemed dangerous to believe that a team riddled with holes and prone to long stretches of infuriating football would be able to replicate that stretch the following year, and predictably the decision to keep Dan Quinn and Thomas Dimitroff led to a 0-5 start to 2020 before Blank mercifully pulled the plug. The mistake Blank had made, out of fondness for Quinn, a desire to believe in things like momentum, and some good old-fashioned recency bias, was imagining that the final eight games were more relevant than the eight games that came before them. That’s a larger sample size then I’ll be discussing for 2025 in this article, but the principle is very much the same.

There’s a real danger of that with these final few games, if Blank gives in to that temptation again. Say the Falcons beat the Rams in a stunner and knock off the Saints, finishing the season on a 4-0 run. You could look at that, in the face of Atlanta’s injuries and some renewed competence, and imagine that this was a reflection of who the team should have been all along. You could convince yourself, in other words, that the Falcons had Figured It Out.

The reason that would be a bad idea is fairly obvious. Blank has had Morris as a full-time head coach for 32 games now, and Morris is 14-18 in those games, with very few of the team’s persistent problems getting better over that span. The team has been slow to adjust to reality, from Cousins’ poor play imperiling the 2024 season to adjusting the offense to mitigate Darnell Mooney’s lost year and lack of receiver depth to Younghoe Koo’s implosion, and

To a lesser extent, the reverse would be true. If the Falcons lose these next two games, decimated as they are and facing a really tough primetime matchup and an always weird divisional battle, Blank should not go from leaning strongly toward keeping Morris to firing him based on a couple of games. Whether you’re looking at two games or four games, it’s a handful of data points that need to be considered, but should not be deciding factors. Teams that make decisions based on small sample sizes, like the Falcons over the past decade, tend to be teams that make major mistakes.

The team needs to take a big picture view​

Consider the last decade. The Falcons have, as I wrote earlier this season, failed to understand their place in the NFL’s landscape and overall quality of their football operations and roster repeatedly over eight losing seasons. A large part of that failure has come because the Falcons appear to hyper-fixate on certain shortcomings, like the pass rush and special teams in 2025, quarterback in 2024 and (with a miss) in 2022, skill position players on offense (repeatedly, to the detriment of other needs, but certainly notably in 2020), and the offensive line in 2019. The net effect of that, and disastrous moves like clearing out the coordinators in 2019, is that the team repeatedly overlooks other needs and potential trouble spots that end up sinking them.

This isn’t to suggest that the Falcons can and should fix every possible problem every offseason—it’s not gonna happen, folks—but that their blind spots and half-measures have mixed in disastrous ways. It has also led them to push significant resources into singular fixes, which has borne real fruit in some instances (2019’s Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary double dip, 2025’s Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. selections) and led to cratering fortunes in others (thus far Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. together in 2024, Hayden Hurst and Todd Gurley in 2020).

What’s necessary is a clear-eyed, deeply sober look at the top-to-bottom way this team functions, a look that insiders like Ian Rapoport have repeatedly said Blank is expected to take. That should include considering whether Rich McKay, who has been involved with this team basically since the day Arthur Blank bought it, should be involved at all in football operations given the team’s long playoff drought and back-to-back underwhelming hires. It should include a look at the front office, which has acquired some foundational pieces of the next great Falcons team while also repeatedly carving out depth and making risky, resource-intensive moves. It definitely will include considering whether this coaching staff is one the Falcons can win with, and if it’s determined the head coach is still someone the organization believes in, whether he can carry the same trio of coordinators into 2026. It should zoom out to consider the way the Falcons make football decisions, why so many of them have been failures over the past eight seasons, and whether the team needs to look at emulating more successful franchises or simply adjust slightly by, say, not always trading up in the NFL Draft.

---

Whether it’s personnel, process, or both, change is needed for the Atlanta Falcons. They’ve been one of the least successful franchises over the past decade, and like the Raiders, Browns, Cardinals, and Dolphins they find themselves keeping company with, they have no slam dunk path back to relevance. The talent level is a bit higher than many of the teams down in the basement with them—and certainly better than, say, the Saints—but they don’t have a for-certain franchise quarterback, have aging and fragmented position groups to address, and lack resources with limited cap space and no first or fifth round pick a year from now. There are hard decisions that have to be made, and unfortunately few guarantees any decisions will deliver immediate success.

What the Falcons can’t do is let these final two games influence them. If Morris and Fontenot’s roster pull off a couple of brilliant wins, you’ll need to weigh that against 32 other games, the same as you’d need to if they get smoked. Fans are going to be skeptical of this team until they start winning and justifiably so, but this franchise still owes it to those fans to be thoughtful and make a decision based on two years for Morris, five years for Fontenot, and over 20 years for McKay that considers what has been built and whether they’re the right men to build what’s coming next.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...eferendum-on-raheem-morris-and-terry-fontenot

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Christmas Day NFL games open thread

It’s Christmas! For those who celebrate, I hope you have a wonderful holiday, and for those who don’t, I hope you enjoy a day of football and (hopefully) a day off from work.

Please use this as your open thread for all things NFL games, Falcons, and presents, and we’ll be back at it tomorrow. Take care, everyone!

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlanta-falcons-discussion/90526/christmas-day-nfl-games-open-thread

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons – Rams Week 17 2025 Game Coverage

The Falcons have won two games in a row against a freefalling Buccaneers team and lousy Cardinals squad, but their last great challenge of the 2025 season is ahead.

The Los Angeles Rams are one of the best teams in football, quarterbacked by a still-excellent Matthew Stafford, who is throwing the ball to all-world receiver Puka Nacua and the great Davante Adams when he’s healthy, and handing it off to twin bowling balls Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. The defense has been excellent for long stretches, special teams hasn’t proven to be a fatal flaw (just yet!), and they’re about as well-coached a team as you’ll find in the league. All of that makes them an incredibly intimidating opponent, and if the Falcons knock them off in primetime, it’ll be a legitimately impressive achievement.

Here’s all our coverage, rounded up for your reading and viewing pleasure.

• Falcons can’t let final games be referendum on Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot
• Bijan Robinson and Chris Lindstrom make Pro Bowl for 2025 season
• How the Falcons produced an unexpected 50-sack season
• Falcons working with outside consultant as they mull 2026 changes

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlanta-falcons-schedule/90494/falcons-rams-week-17-2025-game-coverage

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons working with outside consultant as they mull 2026 changes

The drumbeat of reporting around the Atlanta Falcons is that they’ll consider changes to football operations at the end of the year, but of course, you don’t start making that decision after your Week 18 game. You mull it well before, and if you’re smart, you try to weight everything you can before you make a big decision on whether Terry Fontenot, Raheem Morris, and/or others stay and go.

We want the Falcons to give that decision careful consideration and hoped they were doing so. Now, we have some reporting from Sports Illustrated insider Albert Breer that indicates that they’re not going to put that decision entirely on the team’s usual cast of power brokers, as they’re working with an outside consulting firm.

From Breer:

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. And it’s not been a secret within the walls of the football facility that the evaluation is ongoing.

Time will tell what this means for GM Terry Fontenot and coach Raheem Morris, but there’s plenty of buzz that some level of change is coming, with the team at 6–9, assured of its eighth consecutive season under .500 and home for the playoffs.

Mike Forde, a former executive for the Premier League’s Chelsea F.C., is Sportlogy’s founder, and former Texans GM Rick Smith is among the firm’s partners.

This is interesting on multiple levels. The first is the “overall health check on the team’s operations” piece. If an outside firm decides that the Falcons have been operationally sound despite the poor results for many years running, but find trouble spots in the executive suite, front office, or coaching staff, Arthur Blank is likely to weigh that feedback carefully. If Sportology finds the Falcons are a complete mess top to bottom, it might move Blank to make the kinds of sweeping changes he’s avoided since 2020, with shakeups even higher than the general manager possible if unlikely for Rich McKay and others. That work will presumably combine with the team’s impressions of the past two seasons for Raheem Morris and five seasons for Terry Fontenot, the way this season has evolved, and the perceived state of the roster and the franchise’s team-building approach to help them figure out whether Fontenot, Morris, and others are going to be here next year or not.

The second level is the involvement of Smith, who was one of a few reported candidates on the team’s shortlist for general manager and one of their handful of interviews back in 2021; he lost the job to Fontenot. I’m not suggesting Smith is going to be inclined to try to get Fontenot fired or anything like that, but it’s fascinating to see someone who interviewed for a top job in Atlanta now involved in turning a critical eye toward football operations.

This is ultimately still Blank’s decision, and to the chagrin of many, I would expect Rich McKay to still be around when this is all over and part of the decision-making process, as well. But I do appreciate that the team, which has proven to be less-than-stellar at auditing itself over the years, is willing to bring in consultants who might have a different perspective as they look to make a series of critical decisions coming out of the 2026 season. We’ll talk more about factors in that decision tomorrow, but suffice to say I hope Sportology helps steer Blank and company toward the best possible outcome, whatever that may prove to be.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...-outside-consultant-as-they-mull-2026-changes

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

What to know about Falcons – Rams on Monday Night Football

The Atlanta Falcons had some daunting matchups heading into 2025, but a few of them turned out to be easier than expected. The Buffalo Bills were in a downswing when Atlanta saw them—though they did a very nice job of shutting them down, regardless—and the Vikings and Buccaneers have been far worse than expected. They hung tough against the Patriots and gave a game first half effort against the Seahawks before the wheels came off, and now they’ll have to dig very deep to stand a chance against the Los Angeles Rams.

At this point, the Rams are the team I expect to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. The collapse against the Seahawks and inexplicable loss to the Panthers give me some pause, but there’s no other team with their mix of talent, coaching savvy, and relatively good health at the moment; only the Eagles and Seahawks are really in the conversation. The Falcons will need to be both good and lucky to stand a chance of knocking them off in primetime.

Here’s what you need to know about Monday Night Football.

Team rankings​

Team	Record	Points Scored	Yardage	Passing Yards	Rushing Yards	Points Against	Yardage Against	Passing Yards Against	Rushing Yardage Against	Turnovers Created	Turnovers Surrendered
Falcons	6-9	25	14	17	8	21	14	8	25	13	14
Rams	1	1	2	5	6	16	19	12	4	17

The Falcons are a worse team across the board, to the surprise of exactly zero of you. They’re one of the few teams in the Rams’ neighborhood in terms of rushing and have fared better against opposing quarterbacks than the Rams, and have been a little less likely to give the ball away. But Los Angeles boasts a much more productive passing attack, a better run defense, and a more opportunistic defense in terms of turnovers; that’s part of why they’re 11-4 and the Falcons are 6-9.

How the Rams have changed​

The Falcons last saw Los Angeles in 2022, and while Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford are constants, there have been plenty of changes since then.

The team has gone from having an inconsistent rushing attack with Darrell Henderson and Cam Akers to an excellent one with Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, have moved on from Cooper Kupp and Allen Robinson in favor of Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, and have put together an impressive tight end room. The defense has been transformed, with Hall of Famer Aaron Donald retired and new faces like Jared Verse taking his place. What has not changed is that the Rams are one of the NFC’s premier contenders, and one of the scariest teams to face on a week-in, week-out basis.

They will be without Adams, however, which is about the only post-Christmas cheer I can offer here.

What to know about Week 17​

This is not going to be a fun one. Remember how I wrote that the Seahawks game was likely to be a bloodbath, and ultimately it was? That’s my expectation on steroids, given how good the Rams are and given how they’re smarting from a tough couple of weeks.

Can the Falcons win this one? Of course. They’ve nearly knocked off the Patriots, knocked off the Bills, and fought some quality teams to near-draws, even if wins against the Vikings and Buccaneers look less shiny than they would have in August. Getting Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier involved against a tough front to help balance things out and then killing the Rams over the middle of the field with Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and a steady diet of Bijan targets; pressuring Matthew Stafford to force incompletions and keeping the damage from Kyren Williams and Blake Corum to a minimum would give the Falcons a real shot. Of course, exactly none of those things are simple.

Start with running the football. The Rams are tied for ninth in yards per carry against and have allowed fewer rushing touchdowns than any other football team. Aside from Braden Fiske, Jared Verse, and corners Emmanuel Forbes and Cobie Durant, nearly every starter on this defense has been stout this year; you can run by Verse and over Forbes and Durant. That will increase the degree of difficulty for the Falcons, though their habit of running outside will at least allow Allgeier and Robinson to avoid the teeth of the defense.

The pass defense isn’t stellar, but Los Angeles has assembled a good group of safeties and a decent set of corners, all of which will help them against Pitts in particular and London and Robinson to a lesser extent. Their pass rush is also difficult to defend, with Pro Bowlers Byron Young (11 sacks) and Jared Verse (6.5 sacks) working with Cobie Turner to form a formidable trio. Kirk Cousins has been great about hanging in there to deliver balls under pressure, but he still isn’t showing he can escape it, and that could lead to drive-killing problems.

On the other side of the ball, the Falcons will also have to stop two good, physical backs running behind a terrific offensive line, all while keeping the great Puka Nacua in check and dealing with the Rams cycling targets to their capable tight ends. If that doesn’t sound easy to you, it’s because it’s not going to be.

And above all, the Falcons have to get to Matthew Stafford, which is a risky proposition. Stafford has seven touchdowns and zero interceptions against pressure this season, per PFF; even though his completion rate plummets, it’s either getting close enough to impact his throw or getting killed by him. Stafford is not fast of feet, so David Onyemata, Ruke Orhorhoro, and especially Brandon Dorlus will be key to the effort with pressure up the middle, forcing Stafford to move into (hopefully) the waiting arms of James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker. But Stafford also is great at subtle movement and can rip a back-breaking throw from just about anywhere, so chances are we’re going to see some really enraging moments even if the pass rush is up to snuff.

This is gonna be hard as hell. If the Falcons pull off a win, I’ll be delighted and quite impressed.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...ay-night-football-matthew-stafford-kyle-pitts

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Atlanta Falcons Power Rankings: Christmas came early for Falcons fans

Over the past three seasons, the Atlanta Falcons have won three straight games heading into Christmas, after being officially eliminated from playoff contention.

Naturally.

With nothing left on the line, Atlanta is suddenly playing some of its best football of the season, turning December into a showcase of what might’ve been. It’s fun, it’s frustrating, and it probably goes a long way toward buying more time for Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot.

Merry Christmas, Falcons fans.

The rest of the league’s Christmas slate was mostly noise, outside of Denver strengthening its bid for the #1 seed. Last week, however, delivered the real chaos, with multiple teams taking losses that effectively ended their playoff chances.

Let’s get into this week’s power rankings:

1) Seattle Seahawks (12-3) (even)​

I just know keeping Sam Darnold and company at the top is going to look horrible once they lay an egg in the divisional round of the playoffs, but I’m believing in this defense and this offense’s ability to do just enough to continue their winning ways.

2) New England Patriots (12-3) (+1)​

Drake “Drake Maye” Maye is playing lights-out football right now. It’s incredible how New England has bounced back so quickly under Vrabel, and how impressive Josh McDaniels has looked as an offensive play-caller again.

3) Los Angeles Rams (11-4) (-1)​

This Rams team is still the odds-on favorite for the Super Bowl in what has been the most wide-open season in a while, and for good reason. Matthew Stafford is the odds-on favorite for MVP and the defense is still rolling on all cylinders.

4) Denver Broncos (13-3) (even)​

They keep finding ways to win, and Christmas Day was no different. Now, Sunday, against the Jaguars, that was a red flag. But, there’s no doubt that Bo Nix and company are playing Super Bowl-contending ball.

5) Buffalo Bills (11-4) (+1)​

Still the best QB in the AFC, Josh Allen and the Bills are racking up wins at the right time. Let’s see if they can carry that momentum through January.

6) Los Angeles Chargers (11-4) (+1)​

Herbert and company looked like a machine on Sunday against the Cowboys. Now, they get the potential game of the week as they head off to Houston to fight for playoff positioning.

7) Chicago Bears (11-4) (+1)​

Chicago is the feel-good story of the NFL, and Ben Johnson is the people’s champ as he helped Chicago pull the most out of Caleb Williams and this Bears offense. Will it be enough to win a playoff game? Probably not, but seeing it be enough to likely win the division has been fun to see.

8) San Francisco 49ers (11-4) (+1)​

They’re back. The 49ers offense is looking like the well-oiled machine that Kyle Shanahan enjoys running year in and year out. And just in time for the postseason.

9) Green Bay Packers (9-5-1) (-4)​

Did an overtime loss against the Bears necessitate such a large drop-off? No. But it did cement the fact that some real holes in the Packers are simply too large to have them higher than the other two NFC playoff teams in front of them. Congrats on the playoff berth, though.

10) Jacksonville Jaguars (11-4) (+1)​

Well, I was wrong. This Jaguars team is electric. Trevor Lawrence is playing lights out and the offense is humming. Congratulations to the fans in Duval. You deserve it.

11) Houston Texans (10-5) (+1)​

It’s been a climb, but the Texans are one of the more fun teams to watch because of their willingness to play in such a physical manner. Let’s see how that matches up against the Chargers and their offense, which is finding itself amid their own late-season run.

12) Philadelphia Eagles (10-5) (+1)​

They’re in, I’m not necessarily very excited to see them play. Maybe with the Bills coming up, they’ll shape up, but the Eagles have been a frustrating watch for some time now.

13) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-6) (+1)​

Win against the Cleveland Browns, and you’re in. Lose and you (probably) face a pissed-off Baltimore team that is itching to show that the earlier parts of the season were a fluke (they weren’t).

14) Baltimore Ravens (7-8) (+2)​

Just make Week 18 matter. That should be the goal. Try your damndest to make week 18 matter.

15) Carolina Panthers (8-7) (+3)​

There are a lot of weird ways you could win or lose this division. But the easiest way is to just continue to win. If you win this week, Carolina, and the Bucs lose, you’re in regardless of next week. However, lose this week, and you have to sweep this Bucs team, who has swept you the past two years.

16) Detroit Lions (8-8) (-6)​

From first to worst. The truest showcase of how hard it is to maintain elite-level play in the NFL. Sorry, Detroit fans.

17) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-8) (even)​

The division is still in play, but unless Carolina lays an egg, eight wins ain’t going to cut it. This game against the Dolphins may decide the future of Todd Bowles’s head coaching career.

18) Indianapolis Colts (8-7) (-3)​

While the Phillip Rivers story is nice, and a great discussion-starter for the state of QBs in this day and age, this season that was once filled with so much promise just a month ago has been mired in mediocrity.

19) Minnesota Vikings (8-8) (even​

That defense. Wow. If only the quarterback position were a little better this season. The pains of the young quarterback development route of team-building.

20) Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1) (even)​

So, the season wasn’t what you expected, Cowboys fans, but at least your offense is fun, and Dak Prescott is still pretty good.

21) Kansas City Chiefs (6-10) (even)​

There are no words for how this season has been if you’re a Chiefs fan, especially after the years of “we’ll figure it out” that have preceded the 2025 season. Hopefully, Travis will return, and Patrick will be ready for the start of the season.

22) Cincinnati Bengals (5-10) (+2)​

That was an ass-kicking on Sunday. It is so good to see Joe Burrow play football again, and it really is not fun that he won’t be in this year’s playoffs.

23) Atlanta Falcons (6-9) (even)​

It was disjointed, but it was still a win on Sunday. The case for keeping Raheem Morris around becomes stronger, and my will to watch this team on a week-to-week basis, coincidentally, has gotten weaker.

24) Miami Dolphins (6-9) (-2)​

Well, that was…not great. But, the Dolphins have the chance to spoil the Bucs season if they can find a way to kick the Bucs while they’re down on Sunday.

25) Arizona Cardinals (3-12) (even)​

The Cardinals had zero answer for Bijan Robinson on Sunday, and I don’t know what answers they may have for a pissed-off Joe Burrow and company.

26) New Orleans Saints (5-10) (+1)​

If the Saints find a way to secure a third-place finish in the NFC South, I will not be held responsible for my actions.

27) Washington Commanders (4-12) (-1)​

Injuries are the worst. The Commanders are finding out first-hand just how hard it can bite a team in a single season.

28) Tennessee Titans (3-12) (+1)​

Keeping Cam Ward healthy and notching a nice win over the Chiefs? Not a bad Sunday.

29) New York Jets (3-12) (-1)​

There’s no reason to allow Tyler Shough to have 300 passing yards. No reason at all.

30) Cleveland Browns (3-12) (+1)​

The Browns have the chance to do the funniest thing to the Steelers on Sunday.

31) New York Giants (2-13) (-1)​

Giants-Raiders. Gross. Disgusting. I can’t wait.

32) Las Vegas Raiders (2-13) (even)​

Read above, but also, may the worst loser…lose? I don’t know.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...ankings-christmas-came-early-for-falcons-fans

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

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

The Atlanta Falcons reignite a rivalry against an old school NFC West opponent of yesteryear when they step into the prime time lights to face the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football this week.

It really was sheer misery for the Birds whenever they matched up against the Rams in the early days, as they won just two out of the team’s first 19 matchups through the 1976, while suffering a 56-0 beatdown in that ‘76 season. That’s still the largest margin of defeat in franchise history.

It was decisive L after decisive L for the Falcons, as the Rams almost felt like an auto loss on the schedule in the 1970s and 1980s. Despite facing off twice a year, Atlanta didn’t put together back-to-back wins in this matchup until 1986 and then they didn’t have sustained success until the calendar flipped into the 1990s, when they won eight out of nine meetings throughout the first half of that decade.

After going 4-13 against the Birds from 1990-1998, the now St. Louis Rams plucked future MVP and Hall of Famer Kurt Warner out of the Arena League and put together the Greatest Show on turf in 1999, then proceeded to beat Atlanta seven straight times through 2003, just like old times.

The Falcons have since bounced back since leaving the Rams’ division, going 7-3 from 2004 through modern day, including beating their old foes twice in the playoffs — the first in the 2004 NFC Divisional Round, led by the DVD offense, and then in the 2017 NFC Wildcard Round, which to this day remains the last playoff win the Falcons have enjoyed.

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Last Meeting​

The Falcons were up against it when they traveled to Sofi Stadium in Week 2 of the 2022 season for a matchup against the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, already reeling after blowing a double digit fourth quarter lead against the New Orleans Saints at home in the season opener.

The Rams’ offense was a well oiled machine, scoring a touchdown on four of their first five drives, including two by the reigning offensive player of the year Cooper Kupp, to take a 28-3 lead against a Falcons offense which looked helpless behind Marcus Mariota.

The game flipped on its head when Mykal Walker intercepted Matthew Stafford and set the Birds up in the red zone, however. Mariota wound up connecting with Drake London in the end zone for the rookie receiver’s first ever touchdown reception, before another touchdown pass thrown to Olamide Zaccheaus and a Troy Andersen blocked punt touchdown put the Falcons within striking distance at 31-25.

A Darren Hall forced and recovered fumble against Kupp gave Mariota a chance at completing a famous comeback as Atlanta quickly got into the red zone at the 2-minute warning. The Oregon product took a sack on the first play on the other side of the warning and then threw a back-breaking interception into the hands of Jalen Ramsey to seal it.

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

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons, Matt Ryan discussing potential front office role for former QB

If you think nothing these Atlanta Falcons do can surprise you, think again.

Per FOX Sports insider Jay Glazer, the Falcons are talking to franchise legend and current CBS Sports analyst Matt Ryan about joining the franchise in what Glazer calls a “significant” front office role. After some jokey conversations about Ryan getting back out there for the Falcons, given how well 44-year-old Phillip Rivers has fared in recent weeks, the team’s longtime franchise quarterback may instead be helping to guide the direction of the team; Glazer says sources close to Ryan indicate he’s seriously considering it.

We check in with @JayGlazer on DK Metcalf filing a complaint last year against the same Lions fan that he had an altercation with.

Also, Matt Ryan is in talks to rejoin the Falcons in a high-profile front office position. pic.twitter.com/4IuUGqqhsz

— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 28, 2025

Scoopage: Atlanta Falcons have had conversations with their former Pro Bowl QB Matt Ryan about rejoining the Falcons in a front office role. While two sides still discussing, people close to Ryan say he’s seriously considering this move and talks are ongoing. It would be for a…

— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) December 28, 2025

Because this is so out of left field—Ryan would re-join the team with zero experience as a coach or scout in what is to this point an unspecified role—it’s natural to have questions. Let’s tackle a few of those now.

Why would the Falcons do this?​

There are multiple reasons.

If Ryan is being hired as the general manager—which would be a massive leap—it would be about installing someone Arthur Blank knows, likes, and highly regards atop a personnel department that has had an inconsistent track record for the past decade. If it’s it in more of an advisory or assistant role, it would be about getting an extremely intelligent, honest, and sometimes blunt voice in the front office to weigh in on decisions and try to guide this team to more success.

The role matters—more on that below—but the underlying thought process is the same. As a quarterback and then an analyst, Ryan piloted the Falcons to unprecedented success in his career and has become good at breaking down what ails teams; he’s been asked to do so fairly often with Atlanta alongside Zach Klein, Todd France, and Aaron Donald on The Inner Circle podcast. Ryan would be expected to grow into whatever role he occupies despite his lack of experience, something he seems extremely capable of doing, but the “significant” nature of whatever role he’s taking on means he should be expected to have decision-making power or at least a major voice in decisions from the jump.

This makes the most sense if Ryan is slotting into the existing power structure, because he knows Terry Fontenot from their shared year-plus in Atlanta and knows Raheem Morris extremely well after the pair were both employed by the Falcons from 2015-2020. If Arthur Blank were looking to soften the fan ire for keeping Morris and Fontenot while getting a fresh, trusted perspective in the building that (most) fans still appreciate and respect, this would be a logical move. Few people who are not inside the Falcons building understand how it has operated over the past two decades better than Ryan, with all the good and bad that implies, and the few years he’s been spent outside of that power structure should give him ideas as to how to shake things up.

Why would Matt Ryan do this?​

Ryan’s already proven to be a good announcer and analyst, and he’s said repeatedly in the past that he’s not interested in jumping back on the field (even if he believes he could do it) or coaching. Would he really leave that career to re-join the team that unceremoniously traded him away in 2022, even if they inducted him into their Ring of Honor?

It’s got to be a strong consideration. Despite the exit, Ryan has been around the Falcons plenty since, and clearly has a relationship with everyone from Arthur Blank to Raheem Morris. If he wants to get back into the non-announcing side of football again, this would give him the chance to do so in a way that would launch what could be a long-term front office career. It would also give him the chance to be a hero for the Falcons for a second time in a different role, if he’s able to help guide this team back to winning ways they haven’t enjoyed since he was in the prime of his playing career.

Chances are he’d be well-compensated, would work with familiar faces in a role where (I’m speculating here) he’s not the final decision-maker but would get to guide personnel choices and coaching staff decisions, and would not have to travel across the country as frequently as he does today; that might be a plus with a young family. It’s a chance to lift a franchise that Ryan still clearly loves, despite all its many warts, and to do burnish his reputation as a football mind the same way the Falcons provided a stage for him to burnish his reputation as a player. In the right gig, I can see it being appealing, despite Atlanta’s woes over the past eight seasons.

Is it a good idea?​

Obviously, this is the big question. The answer is unknowable, given the variables at play here and the fact that Ryan would be taking on this sort of job for the first time in his life, but the chances of success may heavily depend on the role.

As a general manager, Ryan would be stepping in to the role the same way John Elway did for the Broncos back in 2011; Elway had never been a scout or coach in the NFL but was the CEO of the Arena League’s Colorado Crush for six seasons prior to joining the Broncos. Elway’s tenure ended poorly but did feature five straight playoff berths, two Super Bowl appearances, and a Super Bowl win, so it can hardly be said to have been a failure.

Ditto the tenure of John Lynch, who I initially remembered as having some scouting experience prior to joining the 49ers as their general manager in 2017, but actually jumped right from the booth to that role. Lynch has had the advantage of working with Kyle Shanahan, an extremely seasoned and respected coach, but has done an impressive job building a 49ers team that has flirted with winning a championship and overcomes a lot of attrition. That was also about a decade after his NFL career, but Lynch is in many ways the closest analogue to Ryan if he takes on this role, as he also jumped straight from an announcing gig to GM.

The Falcons would be banking on Ryan’s lack of experience being less of a negative than his football intellect is a positive, and would look to surround him with experienced help to identify the players and coaches who could push this franchise over the top.

That would be a massive risk. Teams do not generally take the Elway route for a reason, because there’s no guarantee just being a smart former quarterback will translate to being able to successfully run a football team. Elway also had been away from the Broncos for the better part of 15 years, had presided over an Arena League team, and had time to think about what a career as a GM would look like; Ryan has only been out of the NFL for three seasons. The Falcons would have to give Ryan plenty of help, which means nailing any assistant and scout hires they want to make, and be willing to endure some growing pains on the job after eight straight losing seasons. That would mean patience, little-to-no meddling, and strong hires across the board, and the Falcons have struggled with all of those items for a while now. Ryan might be good enough to overcome all of that and he might not; the problem would be that his lack of experience would make it impossible to confidently forecast a good outcome. I like and trust Ryan enough to believe in him, but that’s just belief from a fan who thinks he’s a bright guy who cares about the Falcons. It’s not concrete.

If Ryan is taking on a role where he’s less responsible for personnel decisions but, say, is there to put his thumb on the scale and either oversee Terry Fontenot and company or at least weigh in on the decisions they’re making with enough power to sway them, it’s less risky and frankly more intriguing. Ryan would be able to grow into that role with less pressure on him while providing what is hopefully a differing perspective on building this team. The Falcons clearly need new voices in their power structure; the hope would be that Ryan could provide it while wielding the power to hold other decision-makers accountable for failures.

The biggest problem with that last role? It would seem to imply the general manager and (likely) head coach would stay, given that it would be tough to bring in a new hire with Ryan standing over their shoulder unless he got to make that hire. For those of us who believe Fontenot and Morris have mismanaged the last five and two seasons, respectively, with not enough positives to outweigh the considerable negatives, you have to believe that Ryan could steer things back in a positive direction and/or that GM and head coach would make 2026 the year where we start seeing wins. That’s a big ask for year one of Ryan, and a big ask of the existing brain trust given how frustrating the Falcons have been. Will it take heat off Blank, Fontenot, and Morris if the owner is intent on keeping everyone around? I don’t think it will get the job done to the extent the team may believe, but we’ll find out; we are dealing with a lot of unknowns right now.

Regardless, this would be a moribund franchise making a big bet on a beloved former player to be a piece of the puzzle for a better tomorrow. It’s not difficult to imagine Ryan bringing some fresh ideas and perspective to the Falcons. His chances of success likely will depend on his role, and there is no guarantee that someone without the experience usually demanded for candidates in prominent front office roles will be able to push Atlanta in a new and better direction. A team that has been mired in such a long string of losing seasons needs to make significant changes, though, and like us the Falcons will dare dream that their lone MVP can be a game-changer in a very different role. All that remains is to see whether Ryan will take on a new challenge, and if so, exactly what that role will be.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlanta-falcons-news/90558/matt-ryan-front-office-role-rumors

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Intriguing players to watch in Falcons vs. Rams

Even though Christmas has passed, we’re still in the midst of the holiday season. What better way to celebrate this festive time of year than by naming Atlanta Falcons players!

As they gear up for their primetime matchup against the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football, the Falcons hope to receive the gift of an upset win. But to do so will require strong performances from five players who are particularly intriguing because they face both favorable and unfavorable matchups.

Bijan Robinson​

The Falcons hope Bijan Robinson can be just like Santa Claus, delivering his gift for explosive plays. He faces an old teammate in linebacker Nate Landman, whose success in L.A. this season has overshadowed some struggles in Atlanta during his previous stint here. Robinson and the Falcons hope to expose Landman’s coverage limitations, as the San Francisco 49ers did twice already this season.

According to PFF, Landman allowed the most yards in coverage for the Rams defense in both games, for a combined 160, with 70 going specifically to 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey. Like McCaffrey, Robinson is one of the best pass-catching running backs in the NFL and has a chance to go to town against Landman and this Rams defense. If so, it can be the season of giving for the Falcons offense.

Jake Matthews​

Left tackle Jake Matthews won’t like who emerges from his chimney on this Christmas Eve, since he’ll face one of the toughest matchups against Rams defensive end Jared Verse. Verse predominantly lines up against the opposing team’s left tackle and brings impressive power as a bull rusher, a type of rusher that Matthews has struggled against throughout his career.

Verse is not alone in stalking opposing quarterbacks, as he leads a very “fearsome foursome” in terms of the Rams’ defensive front that could wreak havoc against Kirk Cousins and his limited mobility. If Verse and Co. get the better of Matthews and the rest of the Falcons’ offensive line, it could be a horror-filled night for Cousins, reminiscent of Krampus punishing naughty children.

AJ Terrell​

Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell also has a tough draw against Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, who is coming off a magical 225-yard performance last week against the Seattle Seahawks. Terrell has struggled recently despite an impressive season overall. But he’ll need to have one of his best games to keep Nacua in check. Especially since Nacua is constantly moved around the formation like an elf on a shelf, making him difficult to shadow with a single cornerback. Yet, whenever Nacua lines up outside, expect the Falcons to line up Terrell against him as much as possible, hunting him like any elf’s arch nemesis, a hungry golden retriever.

James Pearce​

Falcons rookie edge rusher James Pearce can go down in history if he takes down Rams quarterback Matt Stafford at least once on Monday night. That is because he’ll tie Jevon Kearse’s record of eight consecutive games with a sack for a rookie, set back in 1999. Should Pearce accomplish this against the Rams, he’ll still have a chance to break Kearse’s record with a game left.

Pearce’s chance at a historic sack run is one of the handful of highlights in this disappointing season. Thus, Pearce is forging a path ahead of the ascending Falcons pass rush much as Rudolph surged ahead of Santa’s sleigh on a foggy Christmas Eve.

Brandon Dorlus​

Perhaps the “Dasher” to Pearce’s Rudolph is Falcons defensive tackle Brandon Dorlus, who has pranced his way to impressive sack production this year. Dorlus has danced his way to 7.5 sacks, matching Grady Jarrett’s career high set back in 2019. Should Dorlus get another sack against the Rams, he’ll comet ahead of Rod Coleman for the most for any Falcons interior rush since 2005. Dorlus should be seeing Cupid, given a favorable matchup against right guard Justin Dedich, who is stepping in for injured starter Kevin Dotson.

Dedich has proven a tempting but unreachable vixen to opposing pass rushers since he hasn’t allowed a sack all year, according to PFF, but has allowed 13 combined pressures in five fill-in starts. So while Pearce may be guiding this unit through the fog, others like Dorlus are also doing their share of pulling in a magical, impossible task, whether we’re talking about how Santa travels across the entire globe in a single evening, or the Falcons hitting 50 sacks this season.

Can you name more Atlanta Falcons that fill you with holiday spirit?

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...ntriguing-players-to-watch-in-falcons-vs-rams

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons hold off Rams comeback on Monday Night Football, Week 17 snap reactions

The Falcons nearly blew a 21-0 lead, but held off the Rams for a dramatic primetime win. Since being officially eliminated from the playoffs, the Atlanta Falcons have won three games in a row, their longest win streak of the season.

Showing up when the season is over is a tradition like any other. Here are the Week 17 snap reactions/

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde​

The Falcons amassed their largest halftime lead since 2016, and they watched it crumble away in the second half. Raheem Morris has built a thrilling but dangerous rollercoaster. When the ride is fully functioning, it can lead to a weekend of fun for the whole family, but the other 50% of the time, it’s a death trap. This isn’t a roster issue; it’s a culture one, and the culture won’t change without a significant overhaul.

Bijan Robinson, RB1 of the NFL​

What a game for Bijan!

He gained 190 of his 229 scrimmage yards AFTER first contact Monday. That’s the most yards after contact since ESPN began tracking the stat in 2009. pic.twitter.com/OYrGVUSDRq

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) December 30, 2025

There isn’t a better running back in the NFL, and you can debate a wall if you disagree. Robinson has an ankle collection that none can rival; the back is built like Ladainian Tomlinson, and he cuts like Barry Sanders. The only part of his games that his doubters could point to was his lack of breakaway speed, and he put that argument to bed with his 93-yard house call. In all of Atlanta Falcons history, no player has gained more scrimmage yards in a single season than Bijan Robinson.

Drake London and Kyle Pitts MIA​

It’s cool that Cousins can get the ball to his locker-room buddy, but there’s no reason he should be avoiding Drake London like he’s the plague. Kyle Pitts had a big catch in the second half but was a non-factor most of the game. The second-half offense sputtered, and ZRob and Cousins struggled to distribute the ball to playmakers not named Bijan.

The Falcons have been lucky to get 2/3 going in the same game, but it feels like more times than not, only one of the former first-round picks gets to shine. It’s a problem that Zac Robinson should have figured out by now with 33 games under his belt.

Special teams communication is going great; special teams play is not​

BLOCKED FG!

Jared Verse said on his way to the end zone! pic.twitter.com/XYSZhoOQzK

— ESPN (@espn) December 30, 2025

Raheem Morris’s handling of special teams since 2024 might be his most fireable offense. The Falcons had another field goal attempt blocked by an unblocked Jared Verse, and this one was returned for a touchdown, opening the floodgates for a Rams comeback.

It’s embarrassing that leadership’s response to this bottom-tier play has been that there’s nothing the staff can do. If they genuinely believe that, then they shouldn’t be coaching in this league. The current product is a result of the complacency that’s been allowed to fester.

What does this mean?​

Who knows? Your guess is as good as mine. What should feel like an impressive win feels like a gag. Could the gods of Sportology stop in and save us? Or will Matt Ryan put on his cape and swoop in to try and save the team? All options are on the table, but that also means running it back with the entire staff, minus Marquice Williams (wouldn’t bet on Morris firing two coordinators). The season isn’t over; a lot can happen when the Saints come to town, so let’s wait before drawing too many conclusions about the future.

The Falcons are 7-9 and looking to match their 2024 record, with the Saints being their final obstacle. It’s been a long season, Falcons fans, and we’ve finally reached the finish line.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...7-snap-reactions-bijan-robinson-raheem-morris

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons Highlight Reel vs. Rams, featuring Bijan Robinson, Xavier Watts, & more

What do I do with this?

What do I do with this, Atlanta Falcons?

Bijan Robinson is one more big game against the New Orleans Saints from potentially challenging Chris Johnson’s scrimmage yard record. Kirk Cousins has led this team to a three-game winning streak, the longest since they took control of the NFC South in the earlier parts of last season.

Atlanta has a chance to end the season on a 4-game winning streak for the first time since 2019. A hilarious coincidence because it feels very similar to that 2019 season: Does Dan Quinn deserve another year? He probably doesn’t, but there’s just enough momentum to go into next year, right?

There’s enough talent here to build off the good graces of last season, right?

He hasn’t lost the team yet, so there’s no reason to make such rash decisions surrounding the franchise, right?

No, I’m sure this time will go just fine.

Anyway, the Falcons have done something beautiful tonight, as they proved that there is more to playing football than just going to the playoffs and competing for a Super Bowl. Football is about the guys next to you in the locker room and playing your heart out for them. For James Pearce, Jr. and Xavier Watts whose mere presence in this game is a storyline surrounding April’s blockbuster trade. For Kirk Cousins, who despite him playing in the sunset of his career, is still looking for one last chance to show he’s still got it. And finally, for Raheem Morris, who despite what all us fans think, has not yet lost the entirety of the locker room, and still has guys playing their hearts out for him to have one more year to try to steer the ship that he and GM Terry Fontenot have captained over the past couple of years.

Without further ado, let’s get into the highlights.

Kirk Cousins shows out to lead 11-play TD drive​

After the defense forced a crucial three-and-out, it was up to the offense to capitalize.

Boy, did they.

Kirk Cousins went 4-for-6 for 50 yards, including 3-for-3 against the blitz through the air, to help lead the Falcons 65 yards down the field, including this 4-yard floater to Bijan Robinson.

Kirk. Bijan. @AtlantaFalcons take the lead!

LARvsATL on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/3BFAnc0dWc

— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2025

Also, Christian McCaffrey is leading the league in total yards from scrimmage with 2069, Bijan Robinson comes into week 17 only 43 yards behind him with 2026.

In the first two drives, Robinson has already gained 25 yards from scrimmage.

Khalid Kareems Kyren Williams for the Turnover on Downs​

Matthew Stafford is struggling to find guys downfield, the Rams are having to earn every yard downfield, and now Khalid Kareem blows by fill-in left tackle D.J. Humphries for a crucial 4th-down stop near the end of the first quarter.

The @AtlantaFalcons defense gets the 4th down stop!

LARvsATL on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/Q0n0gJEIXi

— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2025

Jessie Bates gets his annual pick-six to put Falcons up two scores​

Oh, you thought you were getting out of the 2025 season without a Jessie Bates pick-six?

Think again.

Matthew Stafford forced the ball too high, and Jessie Bates made him pay.

JESSIE BATES III PICK-6

LARvsATL on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/v0tdpjZb88

— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2025

Since Bates became a Falcon in 2023, he has reeled in 13 interceptions, tied for the third-most in that span with Xavier McKinney and Geno Stone.

Xavier Watts hawks down the INT for Stafford’s 2nd of the day​

Just in case you forgot about the 2nd part of that now infamous trade with the Los Angeles Rams in the 2025 draft, Watts is here to remind you.

Another @AtlantaFalcons INT!

This time Xavier Watts takes it away.

LARvsATL on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/LzHgpq98QU

— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2025

With his fourth interception, Xavier Watts leads rookies outright, making the Falcons the leader in both interceptions by a rookie and sacks by a rookie (James Pearce, Jr. – 8.5).

Bijan Robinson records the longest play of the 2025 NFL season to skunk the Rams​

Remember when you would play Madden against your older cousins and they tell you to pass the sticks? It would always be on some demoralizing-type play where they would put that fateful third touchdown on the board.

Bijan Robinson’s 93-yard TD is that play.

BIJAN ROBINSON 93 YARDS!

LARvsATL on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/OTqGarUX9F

— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2025

Not only is this the longest run of the year, a feat that Robinson had taken from him in front of him and a stadium full of German spectators by Jonathan Taylor, but it’s the longest touchdown of the league, period.

It overtakes Matthew Stafford’s 88-yard bomb to Tutu Atwell against the Colts at the end of September.

Bijan breaks the franchise record for scrimmage yards in a season in a way that only Bijan can​

Bijan Robinson can't be stopped!

LARvsATL on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/TcRloxbHZF

— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2025

In a lost season, filled with more questions than answers, one constant has been Bijan Robinson. With this play, Robinson surpasses William Andrews’ record for most scrimmage yards in a season, when he had 2,176 total yards in 1983.

And that’s not all…

Bijan is at 2,195 scrimmage yards. He needs 89 more across tonight and Week 18 to clear Saquon Barkley’s 2,283 from last season for the most scrimmage yards for any player over the last six seasons.

— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) December 30, 2025

Xavier Watts snags 2nd INT of the night against Stafford​

Matthew Stafford came into the game as the odds-on favorite for the MVP award. After this performance, there is going to have to be a discussion about other potential options.

Stafford threw his third interception of the night, his 2nd to the rookie safety, Xavier Watts.

PICKED! Xavier Watts with his 2nd of the game

After review it was determined he stepped out before scoring.

LARvsATL on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/g22mq5NDq2

— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2025

With his 2nd interception of the game, Watts becomes the ninth Falcons rookie with a multi-interception game, the last being former first-round pick Michael Booker in 1997.

Zane Gonzalez nails go-ahead field goal to put Falcons up late​

Zane Gonzalez has been money for the Falcons, with the only miss in his past six attempts being a blocked kick to keep the Rams in the game.

Now, with the game on the line, Gonzalez puts the Falcons up by three with only 21 seconds left to go in the game.

RIGHT. DOWN. THE. MIDDLE.

Zane Gonzalez drills the FG to put the @AtlantaFalcons up three with 21 seconds left.

LARvsATL on ESPN/ABC
Stream on @NFLPlus and ESPN App pic.twitter.com/xRkLknRxNE

— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2025

Other Notables​

• Bijan Robinson claims the spot for fifth-most rushing yards in a game by an Atlanta Falcon with 195 against the Rams. Robinson also joins Michael Turner and William Andrews as the only other Falcon to have multiple games of 200+ scrimmage yards.
• Divine Deablo and Kaden Elliss were all over the field today. Deablo racked up 10 total tackles (7 solo), while Elliss made some stellar plays, including an incredible PBU early in the game.
• Before leaving with what appears to be a serious lower-body injury, Brandon Dorlus jumped Jumpy Geathers for the 4th-most sacks by a Falcons defensive tackle with 8.5. That mark is also the most sacks for a Falcons defensive tackle since Roderick Coleman racked up 10.5 sacks in 2005. Hopefully, Dorlus’ injury isn’t as serious as it seemed, and we’re praying for a speedy recovery.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/atlan...eaturing-bijan-robinson-xavier-watts-and-more

 

[Atlanta Falcons]

Falcons vs. Saints tailgating: A New Orleans-themed menu for Hate Week

We’ve got one final opponent standing between us and the offseason: The New Orleans Saints in Week 18. The Falcons have nothing left to play for but pride at this point, and beating the Saints would get that job done. But we are talking about the Atlanta Falcons, one of the most unpredictable teams in the league, and the Saints are on a draft-position-ruining four-game winning streak. Who knows what Sunday will bring!

What I do know is that Hate Week Part 2 is a prime opportunity to make some delicious New Orleans-themed dishes and enjoy the game and the food with friends and family. Here are four dishes you can bring to the tailgate, whether that’s at the stadium or in the comfort of your own home.

Jambalaya​

A key to a great tailgating dish, especially in the winter, is making sure it’s something you can take to the tailgate in a slow cooker so you can keep it warm and transport it easily. Jambalaya fits the bill.

It’s a one-pot dish that blends the French, Spanish, and African influences that are the ancestors to Cajun and Creole cuisine, centering around chicken, shrimp, and andouille sausage. Like so many New Orleans dishes, it starts with the Louisiana version of mirepoix (onions, celery, and carrots), the “holy trinity” of onion, bell peppers, and celery, chopped or diced and sautéed in the rendered fat from the sausage. The rice cooks along with everything else in the dish, allowing it to absorb so much flavor.

It’s also a versatile dish. The Creole version includes tomatoes, and the Cajun version, my favorite, doesn’t. They’re both fantastic. If you’re feeding a large crowd, go big or go home — make both!

Recipe to try: Cajun Jambalaya

Gumbo​

Before you read any further: I am not going to tell you it’s easy to make great gumbo. But if you do put in the time to make it right, it’s well worth the effort.

The most challenging part of gumbo to get right, in my opinion, is another classic element of Louisiana cuisine: a roux. You combine equal parts flour and melted butter or another type of fat and gently and consistently whisk it over medium-low heat until it turns the perfect color, which could be anywhere from a golden brown to a deep brown, depending on your preferences and exactly what you’re making. The aforementioned “holy trinity” is also a key ingredient, and as far as the proteins, you’ve got options. The version I like best has andouille sausage and crawfish, and NO okra in mine, thanks — but if that’s your thing, it’s traditionally found in seafood gumbos.

Recipe to try: Good New Orleans Creole Gumbo

Shrimp Po’Boys​

If you want to lean toward something a little easier to throw together, I present to you: shrimp po’boys. These sandwiches, featuring fried Gulf shrimp, remoulade sauce and/or other condiments, and all of the fixings served on soft French bread. These might be an especially good option for a “tailgating” party at your home because these can’t really be made ahead, but if you’ve got a deep fryer setup at your tailgate, the world is your oyster. (By the way, fried oysters are also great on a Po’Boy.)

Recipe to try: Shrimp Po’Boys

Beignets​

We can’t put together a New Orleans-themed menu without beignets. Beignets, like the Po’Boys above, are best served fresh — but the dough can be made a day or two in advance, which makes it a little easier to pull off for a tailgate, as long as you have a deep fryer available. The classic version of this iconic pastry is dusted with a hefty amount of powdered sugar and served warm. There are variations, like chocolate or cinnamon-sugar beignets, if you want to put your own stamp on these — or you can bring along some honey or a raspberry sauce for drizzling or dipping.

Recipe to try: New Orleans Style Beignets

Let us know in the comments if you’re going to give any of these dishes a try next Sunday as the Falcons welcome the Saints to the Benz. After the Falcons’ thrilling Monday Night Football win over the Rams in Week 17, I can’t even begin to guess what we’ll see from this team against the Saints on Sunday. But I’m looking forward to some tasty New Orleans-themed food regardless.

Source: https://www.thefalcoholic.com/90578...ating-a-new-orleans-themed-menu-for-hate-week