As the Atlanta Falcons return home for the first time in a month to face the division rival Carolina Panthers, they are desperately looking for a rebound as they attempt to snap their four-game losing
streak. Once again, I endeavor to name no more than five Falcon players who factor the most into their bounce-back potential.
Michael Penix
Chief among the Falcons needing a rebound on Sunday is quarterback Michael Penix. He’s coming off a rough performance in Germany against the Indianapolis Colts, and concerns surrounding the first-year starter skyrocketed after some out-of-context quotes about a lack of support from the team’s coaches grabbed headlines this week.
In Berlin, Penix’s inconsistent accuracy reared its ugly head as he completed just 43 percent of his passes, 13 points below expected according to Next Gen Stats. It was even worse the last time Penix faced the Panthers, with a completion percentage over expected (CPOE) nearly 18 points below expected back in Week 3.
Penix should benefit from playing at home, where his CPOE is positive in three starts this season. It’s no secret that Penix has played his best ball this year at home, and the team will need that home-cooking from him if they hope to gain a victory over Carolina on Sunday.
Darnell Mooney
Hopefully, helping Penix rebound in front of the home crowd will be wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who is also coming off a disappointing day in Berlin last week. Mooney had an equally disastrous day when the Falcons faced the Panthers in Week 3. Now, especially with fellow wideout Drake London nursing a back injury, the Falcons need Mooney to step up more than ever.
His 2025 struggles are a significant reason for the team’s offensive letdown this year, and his inability to get on the same page with Penix is holding the offense back. Eliminating the drops and accelerating the explosive plays Mooney provided through 2024 would do wonders to inject the current Falcons offense with some of the juice it has sorely lacked.
Chris Lindstrom
Whenever the Falcons and Panthers clash, right guard Chris Lindstrom will always feature a marquee matchup against the Panthers’ defensive tackle, Derrick Brown. While Lindstrom doesn’t need a rebound, he’s facing one of the biggest challenges, facing off against one of the NFL’s top interior players.
And he’ll be at a disadvantage given that Lindstrom is questionable on Sunday while he battles a foot injury. If the Falcons’ run game is going to work on Sunday and restore balance to the offense, the team will need to neutralize Brown.
JD Bertrand
There has been weekly intrigue surrounding the Falcons’ second-year linebacker JD Bertrand, given that he’s been the team’s primary option to replace injured linebacker Divine Deablo. While Raheem Morris indicated he’s optimistic Deablo will be eligible to return to the lineup next week, recent news surrounding the team obfuscating Mooney’s broken collarbone this summer makes any optimistic messaging about injuries dubious.
In the meantime, we know that the team will need Bertrand to step up for at least one more week. While he has made incremental improvements since his disastrous day in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins, Bertrand remains a very unreliable starting option. The Falcons started to mix in veteran backup linebacker Josh Woods last week against the Colts to some success, but he’ll be out against the Panthers this weekend, nursing a hamstring injury. That means the Falcons will have to put their trust back in Bertrand or find a suitable alternative, such as hybrid safety Ronnie Harrison, to pick up the slack.
Zane Gonzalez
The last time the Falcons faced the Panthers, their struggling special teams proved crucial to their downfall. Parker Romo had a letdown, missing two field goals after making five the week before against the Minnesota Vikings. The Falcons will need to hope that Romo’s recent replacement, Zane Gonzalez, doesn’t have a similar letdown after a somewhat inspiring debut against the Colts last week, when he made his lone field-goal try. Romo shone against his former team, the Vikings, and perhaps Gonzalez will also get a boost by getting revenge against his former employers, the Panthers, on Sunday.
Gonzalez can show that he’s rebounded from two injury-plagued seasons in Carolina in 2021 and 2022. The unreliable kicking game has been one of several disasters that have befallen the Falcons this year, and Gonzalez needs to spearhead its rebound in his first action in front of the home crowd.
Can you name any more Falcons players who have a chance to rebound this weekend against the Panthers?
