The Atlanta Falcons have lost four in a row, and The Falcoholic is still forcing me to find three nice things to say every week (please help, they have my family). Here’s the Week 10 3 up and 3 down.
3 up
Jalon Walker
Walker didn’t stuff the stat sheet like last week, but his presence was felt all game. He was once again a force against the run and pass. His motor stands out every play, and he was rewarded for it on James Pearce Jr.’s strip sack. The Falcons defense is a sack-generating machine, and Walker is a big
part of that.
His ability to function as a looper and a crasher has sprung others free to finish the play. The season is far from over, and that means Walker can keep developing and improving.
Kyle Hinton
As far as end-of-the-bench offensive line performances go, this one was certified elite. It was mentioned pregame that Hinton grew up in Germany and even played football there; the player looked like he was home. Most of the issues and surrendered pressures in the game weren’t his fault, and that’s really all you can ask for from a guy of his caliber when plugged into the lineup.
Tyler Allgeier
Allgeier averaged 3.82 yards after contact per attempt, his highest mark of the season and good for a total of 42 yards after contact per PFF. The running back also forced four missed tackles, his second-highest mark of the season. Allgeier pushed this team into overtime and had the best individual performance on offense yesterday.
His two-touchdown performance was unfortunately wasted, and that feeling of waste will soon apply to his Falcons career.
3 down
Michael Penix
There’s no beating around the bush; the second half of yesterday’s game was unacceptable quarterback play. Penix had brutal miss after miss, both under pressure and when kept clean. The quarterback is operating with an internal clock that starts at a half-second rather than zero.
His feet are disconnected from his eyes, and his hips —bad mechanical habits he got away with in college, but are hurting him now. He struggles turning his back to the defense and is inconsistent attacking the middle of the field. I’m not sure if Penix is the guy yet, but I can tell you his current coaches won’t get him there.
Darnell Mooney
Penix was 1/8 for 17 yards when targeting Darnell Mooney on Sunday. The two have zero chemistry, and their disconnection is one of the biggest things holding the offense back this year. Mooney has looked like a shell of the player we saw in 2024. He hasn’t looked right in a year riddled with injuries, and he doesn’t look viable in the offense.
Penix needs to deliver a catchable ball, but Mooney needs to catch the ball and be in the right place. Despite the firing of Ike Hilliard, there are still miscues between the receivers and the quarterback of this team, and Mooney is involved in most of them.
Special Teams
My beloved third phase of the game has been a nightmare to watch this season. One could argue that no one got more free agent additions than this group, but you’d never know it based on performance. This group gets out-executed when they block, when they are in coverage, and in every other aspect of special teams. Opposing teams keep getting the ball at the 40 or better in critical situations, and it’s breaking the team. The return game has been weak; Jamal Agnew has not provided the juice that was needed in that phase. It’s just plain bad, and it breaks my heart.
Four losses in a row. Sick, awesome, immaculate vibes. What this season needs now is a three-game winning streak to make fans sweat out the idea of Arthur Blank being talked into bringing everyone back.
