The Atlanta Falcons snapped their losing streak against the New Orleans Saints. The defense had more sacks than points allowed, and the team finally has a competent kicker again. Here’s the Week 12, 3 up and 3 down:
3 up
Kirk Cousins
Cousins stepped in and had his best game in over a year. The Falcons didn’t win this game with his arm alone; they only had 23 attempts and 27 dropbacks on the day, but Cousins executed the game plan and delivered when he needed to.
His 49-yard touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney is the longest touchdown by a WR this year. Cousins was given more under center play action opportunities yesterday than in any game he’s played as a Falcon.
The big question coming out of the game is, why did that take so long to happen?
Zane Gonzalez
The Falcons have a kicker that can make 50+ yard field goals again—nature is healing. The Falcons have had a tough time converting drives into points, and Gonzalez is helping them solve that problem. Having a viable kicker changes how the team can approach 4th downs, 2-minute drill, etc. It also takes pressure off the defense and produces a more complementary outcome. Now, coaching needs to not spoil these opportunities when they present themselves.
James Pearce Jr.
Pearce has been on a tear lately. The first-round pick had his first multi-sack game of the year and now has at least one in the last three games. Pearce was billed as the pass rush specialist, and that moniker is starting to ring true. He’s a closer who has a knack for getting the quarterback on the ground. We saw Pearce win in a true one-on-one rep and when utilized as a blitzer in the B-gap. He’s becoming a vital piece of the Falcons 2025 pass rush, which is now one of the best in the league.
3 down
Michael Penix Jr.
Whether it’s fair or not, a spotlight has now been put on Penix Jr. The offense looked notably different without him, and it’s leading many to draw conclusions from the limited information we have. We’ll have to see how this group finishes, but the comments about comfort will be picked apart all offseason.
Even if Atlanta didn’t think Penix was comfortable under center, never allowing him to fail in a game was a cowardly approach. I’m also wondering what Penix worked on last offseason? Did he not work on that part of his game? Was it so bad that they genuinely believed they couldn’t mix it in 2-3 times per drive? Or is this all an attempt at saving face? It’s a long road ahead for Penix, who is scheduled to get surgery on his ACL this week.
Casey Washington
Washington was a healthy scratch against the Saints and has been a non-factor the entire season. Never buy preseason WR stock. The 187th overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft has only recorded six receptions on 14 targets this season and has had trouble with concussions in his young career.
Washington hasn’t been able to overcome his lack of athleticism and hasn’t been able to convert contested catches at the rate he could in college. It’s a disappointing outcome for the Falcons, who had high praise for the receiver all summer.
Raheem Morris
The Falcons may have won, but old troubles and new ones still showed their face this week. This is still a sloppy operation; multiple presnap penalties cost the Falcons on third down, and Morris had another clock mishap that cost the team points. It’s always good to beat the Saints, but we should never accept something in victory that we wouldn’t in a loss; that’s how complacency takes root.
The other issue is Morris is now saying they ran more under center cause Cousins is more comfortable doing that. I mean, yeah, every Falcoholic reader has been telling you that since 2024, so where was it last year, and why did it take this long to surface? This staff has left me with more questions than answers after Sunday’s performance.
The Falcons know how to pull their fans back in; an assertive win against the Saints is precisely how you do it. We’re seeing the young defender take strides every week, and while we still have concerns about management, it’s nice to win one for a change.
