The Falcoholic
The Atlanta Falcons will be facing an uphill climb to get their running game back on track against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 10. They are down at least one starter on their offensive line, left guard Matthew Bergeron, and may be down another with right guard Chris Lindstrom listed as questionable. Coupled with the continued reliance on backup right tackle Elijah Wilkinson, the Falcons’ offensive line will face their biggest challenge of the season in Germany on Sunday morning.
That challenge will center on the Falcons’ ability to reestablish their run game, which has gone sorely missing as the team works to end their three-game losing streak.
I’ve written about the Falcons’ need to be more physical in recent weeks—a goal the team failed to achieve—and it’s no coincidence that the team is on the verge of matching its longest losing streak under head coach Raheem Morris should they fail to rebound against the Colts. When the Falcons dropped four straight games in 2024, it was easy to blame it on quarterback Kirk Cousins’ excessive turnovers during that stretch. This time, it’s harder to pinpoint one obvious issue behind the Falcons’ recent slide, but their struggles to run the football should be at or near the top of the list.
While the development of current quarterback Michael Penix is central to the Falcons’ long-term success, the immediate problem on offense stems from a lack of balance, as the run game has disappeared. As capable as the team’s pass-catchers are, they haven’t been good enough to drive the offense’s success as they did in 2024.
When healthy, wideout Drake London has showcased incredible play, including his three-touchdown performance in last week’s loss to the New England Patriots. London has been the engine of the team’s passing attack, coupled with tight end Kyle Pitts having his best season since his breakout 2021 rookie campaign. Last year, wide receiver Darnell Mooney only trailed Justin Jefferson as the NFL’s most explosive wide receiver. But in 2025, Mooney has been a non-factor, thanks to injuries that sidelined him for nearly all of training camp and a nagging hamstring injury that has plagued him during the regular season.
If London and Pitts can maintain their current level of play and the team can get Mooney back to his 2024 form, the Falcons have a chance to make things interesting in the back half of this season despite their slow 3-5 start. Yet, in the meantime, running back Bijan Robinson should remain the focus and foundation of their offense.
In the Falcons’ three wins this season, Robinson has averaged 129.3 yards rushing. However, in the team’s five losses, Robinson’s per-game total drops to 41.4. Stats like this can be misleading, given that teams tend to run the ball when they hold leads. However, even if you look only at Robinson’s rushing success in the...
