As the Atlanta Falcons travel to face the New England Patriots, they hope that the healthy return of key players will spark their success on the road. Coupled with several struggling players on the verge
of being replaced, there is a lot of intrigue surrounding this matchup.
Naming five Falcons is always a challenge, but unlike the Falcons last week, I’m up for it!
Michael Penix Jr.
The home versus away splits of Falcons quarterback Michael Penix have been stark this year. According to Next Gen Stats, Penix’s expected points added (EPA) per dropback in home games this year ranks ninth, while he ranks 38th in away games. If the Falcons have any hopes of turning their season around to make a late-season playoff push, Penix will have to significantly improve when he gets outside the friendly confines of Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
This Patriots matchup is the first of four road games the Falcons have in November, increasing the urgency for Penix to begin closing the gap between his performances at home and on the road.
Darnell Mooney
If Penix is going to get a significant boost to his effectiveness throwing on the road, he’ll need a lot more help from wide receiver Darnell Mooney. He may get it, given Mooney’s continued trend towards health this week, with two days of full practice. Mooney has battled shoulder and hamstring injuries through the early portion of the season, leading to limited participation in most practices up to this point. If Mooney finally starts to look like his 2024 self, finishing with 992 receiving yards, it’ll provide the spark Penix and the Falcons offense needs to perform on the road.
Currently, Mooney is on pace to finish with less than half that number this year (474 yards). Mooney’s explosiveness complements Drake London’s skillset as a possession receiver, giving the Falcons an effective one-two punch to fuel their passing game.
Elijah Wilkinson
This Patriots game may be right tackle Elijah Wilkinson’s last chance to maintain his grip on a starting spot. Wilkinson is coming off two very lackluster games, and with swing tackle Storm Norton on the mend, the Falcons could be looking to make a change very shortly. The team has until November 12 to bring Norton back to its 53-man roster, but is on pace to do so ahead of next week’s game against the Indianapolis Colts on November 9.
If Wilkinson plays well against the Patriots, then it’s likely that Norton will serve only as a swing tackle next week. If Wilkinson struggles again, then Norton will likely take over. The challenge facing Wilkinson will be Patriots edge rusher Harold Landry, who leads the team with 5.5 sacks and 12 quarterback hits.
JD Bertrand
Like Wilkinson, Falcons linebacker JD Bertrand is coming off a poor performance against the Miami Dolphins, raising major concerns about his ability to fill the void left by an injured Divine Deablo. After the team indicated it would take a “committee approach” to replacing Deablo, Bertrand saw 99 percent of the snaps, leaving him thoroughly exposed as both a run and a coverage defender.
Will he be replaced? Will he bounce back? Will the Falcons reduce his role by adopting dime looks, replacing him with a safety? All of these questions are up in the air at this point. But regardless of the team’s plans for Bertrand, the challenges are abundant this Sunday against the Patriots. A healthy Deablo would be an effective solution to handling the speed of running back TreVeyon Henderson and the scrambling ability of quarterback Drake Maye. But without Deablo, the Falcons will need Bertrand and several others to pick up their play if they don’t want a repeat of last week’s struggles.
Mike Hughes
Cornerback Mike Hughes also got exposed quite a bit against the Dolphins, frequently getting matched up against Jaylen Waddle. The Falcons may adjust this week to have cornerback A.J. Terrell shadow Stefon Diggs, to conceal Hughes’ limitations against the opposing team’s top wideout. However, it doesn’t mean that Hughes won’t face challenges from the rest of the Patriots’ receiver corps.
Kayshon Boutte has been one of the league’s most productive deep threats, with his 236 yards on throws over 20 yards ranking third among receivers, according to PFF. Even if Terrell manages to keep Diggs in check, the Falcons could still be vulnerable to the deep ball if Hughes doesn’t also step up his play.
Can you name any other Falcons?
