Despite some devastating injuries this past week, there is still plenty of intrigue surrounding the Atlanta Falcons as they travel to face the New Orleans Saints . That intrigue centers on some of the replacements
for the injured players, as well as the return of a significant component to their defense. Thus, the task falls to me to name five Falcons, and only five, that will be worth watching on Sunday.
Kirk Cousins
Kirk Cousins steps in for injured Michael Penix at quarterback for his second start of 2025. With seven games left this season, this is a golden opportunity for Cousins to prove he hasn’t forgotten how to play quarterback for another team he’s inevitably auditioning for in 2026.
In the meantime, the Falcons need to figure out a way to get a boost to their offense with Cousins, who has been pretty bad thus far this year.
Darnell Mooney
Needing to help Cousins will be wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who will lead the Falcons’ pass-catchers with Drake London out of the lineup. Mooney has struggled mightily this season, but he did his best work last year with Cousins at the helm. There may still be something left in that connection, and the Falcons will need to resurrect it against the Saints.
Bijan Robinson
Given the concerns surrounding the passing game, the Falcons’ offense will rely heavily on running back Bijan Robinson. This exact scenario happened against the Miami Dolphins earlier this season, and Robinson finished the game with just 25 rushing yards. The Falcons will need a lot more from their offensive superstar starting this week and throughout the rest of the season if this offense is to be competitive.
Divine Deablo
Perhaps the Falcons’ best bet at being competitive for the next few weeks rests on their defense’s ability to turn things around, thanks to the triumphant return of linebacker Divine Deablo to the lineup. The Falcons sported one of the league’s best pass defenses when Deablo was healthy for the first five games. But things fell off a cliff after Deablo’s forearm injury in Week 7. His return to the lineup should enhance not only the team’s coverage against Saints running back Alvin Kamara and tight end Juwan Johnson, but also the team’s blitzing and run defense.
Dee Alford
Dee Alford is another player stepping in for an injured player at nickel cornerback. With rookie Billy Bowman going down with an Achilles injury, Alford is likely back in the slot this week. Alford stepped in for Bowman for a few games when the latter was limited by a hamstring injury, and for the most part, there was minimal drop-off in play between the two.
The Falcons will need that to continue for the remainder of the season. With Bowman suffering an Achilles injury that likely will linger into 2026, these next seven games are an audition for Alford to potentially be the Falcons’ first option to fill the void.
Can you name any other Falcons that intrigue you in this weekend’s Saints game?
