The Falcoholic
Naming five Atlanta Falcons gets harder every week. With the team hoping for a bounce-back game against the Washington Commanders, there are numerous nominees, and narrowing it down to just five becomes a real challenge. But there are a few that stick out that have real opportunities to rebound or emerge at this crucial point in the Falcons’ season.
Quarterback Michael Penix needs to bounce back from the worst game of his short career. The intrigue lies in whether he can demonstrate the necessary resilience required to survive in the NFL.
Penix should benefit from returning home to the friendlier confines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday. This should be a good test to see if offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s move from the booth to the sideline will benefit the young quarterback.
One of the Penix’s favorite targets, wide receiver Darnell Mooney, also needs a rebound game due to his playing one of the worst games of his career last week, too. Mooney’s value to the team comes from his explosive potential, which has been sorely missing.
Now that Mooney appears healthier returning from his shoulder injury, having not appeared on the team’s injury report all week, it’s now or never for the Falcons playmaker to make his presence known.
Running back Bijan Robinson isn’t looking for a rebound game, but certainly could be instrumental in the team’s success on Sunday. As the Falcons’ passing attack tries to figure itself out, the team should be able to lean on their running game. Robinson played absurdly well against Washington in the team’s Week 17 loss last year, spearheading most of their offense to build a halftime lead. Feeding Robinson early and often may help spark the team’s offense. The Falcons should also feature Robinson in the passing game, as he should have some favorable matchups against aging Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner.
Falcons linebacker Divine Deablo is the Falcons’ best answer to keep Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota’s running contained. He likely won’t be the only Falcon to spy him come Sunday, but as the team’s most athletic and rangiest linebacker, he is the best option. The Falcons have been burned by scrambling quarterbacks in each of their first three games, and none of those passers measure up to Mariota in that department. If the Falcons are going to keep it from being four games in a row, a lot will fall on Deablo’s shoulders.
Sunday will also be a big test for Falcons rookie pass-rusher James Pearce, since he’ll be facing Commanders left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Pearce was very productive in the first two games of the season, but it’s probably not a coincidence that neither of the Falcons’ opponents had their regular starting left tackle in the lineup. Last week, against Carolina Panthers left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, Pearce was much quieter.
Tunsil is one of the league’s top left tackles, and the Falcons will face several...
