After an agonizing 0-2 start, the Atlanta Falcons seek a jolt as they head into the first of three consecutive primetime matchups. First up are the Green Bay Packers, who present a daunting road test on Thursday Night Football. The intrigue is sky-high as Atlanta looks for an adrenaline shot at quarterback to jump-start its offense, awaken dormant playmakers, and navigate shifting personnel in the secondary.
Michael Penix Jr.
All eyes will be on Penix as he returns from a 10-month absence to make his 2026 debut. The
pressure is on Penix to revitalize the Falcons offense after two weeks of abysmal quarterback play. But how ready will he be to help this Falcons passing attack take flight? He has the big arm, which is a welcome upgrade to watching Cooper Rush’s throws over the past two games. But will the Falcons let him unleash it, or will they play it safe and ease him into the offense?
So much of the team’s future hinges on this question. Not only because it could help decide whether Penix can be the team’s long-term answer at quarterback beyond this season, but also because it will tell us a lot about how this coaching staff might handle a different young quarterback taking over next season.
It’s not fair to Penix to already be looking beyond this year to the next potential quarterback option, which is why he’s such an intriguing presence not only against the Packers, but for the remainder of the season. We’ve seen flashes from Penix through his first 12 NFL starts, but he’s now at a critical point in his career where those flashes need to become a more consistent, steady pulse to show there is light at the end of the tunnel for the Falcons at quarterback.
Kyle Pitts
Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees has stated he wants to get tight end Kyle Pitts going this week. Running back Bijan Robinson shined in Week 1, and wide receiver Drake London was the star of Week 2, so it seems like the natural progression to get the third member of the Falcons’ “Big 3” more involved this week. Penix’s presence should help expedite things.
Pitts faces scrutiny after the team decided to pay him this summer. He’s no longer working on a prove-it deal under the franchise tag. In the team’s eyes, he’s already proven he’s worth the price tag. Yet, he has only one reception in two games, far below expectations for the league’s third-highest-paid tight end. Instead, the Falcons need to justify that price tag by making him a core part of their offense, starting Thursday night.
Zachariah Branch
Like Pitts, Falcons rookie wideout Zachariah Branch has been an afterthought in the Falcons’ offense through two games, and he’s worth injecting to see if he can ignite things against the Packers.
Branch did get two targets last week on screens, which was a step in the right direction for Rees as a play-caller. But Branch saw only seven snaps on passing downs last Sunday, and beyond those two manufactured touches, he was mostly relegated to getting his steps in by running clear-out routes for other players.
Over the years, all we hear about the Falcons offense is how loaded they are at the skill positions, and Branch is just the latest dynamic addition to that group. But one throughline has been consistent: no coaching staff or quarterback can bring that weaponry to bear each week. With Penix back in the lineup, they have fewer excuses for not finding ways to maximize someone like Branch.
Za’Darius Smith
“Big Z” returns to Lambeau for the first time in four years, after having a lot of success there across his three seasons with the Packers from 2019 to 2021. In 21 career games played in that stadium, he’s recorded 16.5 sacks. He can continue that production in a favorable matchup against a beat-up Packers offensive line that will be without its best blocker, right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele. The Falcons will need Smith and the rest of the pass rush to keep smothering opposing quarterbacks if they want to slow down Packers quarterback Jordan Love and mask any deficiencies on the defensive back end now that top cornerback A.J. Terrell is out of the lineup.
Avieon Terrell
While backup cornerback C.J. Henderson will be tasked with the huge burden of directly replacing A.J. Terrell, the latter’s younger brother, Avieon, could help ease that burden if he gets increased reps as an outside corner. Avieon has worked exclusively as a nickel since the end of training camp, with Mike Hughes entrenched as the starter opposite A.J.
But now that former starting nickel Billy Bowman is slowly working his way back into the lineup as he recovers from a 2025 torn Achilles tendon, coupled with the emergence of safety Sydney Brown in the team’s big nickel looks, the Falcons have more flexibility to give Avieon a longer look outside.
If things go well for Avieon in that new role, there’s a world where, upon A.J.’s return, along with Bowman being fully ramped up to play a full-time role, we might see a newer, better cornerback triumvirate to fulfill Jeff Ulbrich’s vision for the defense.
Thursday night in Green Bay will reveal whether a change under center and a secondary reshuffle can finally get the Falcons into the win column.
Can you name any other Falcon who needs to step up most under the bright lights of Lambeau Field?
