The Atlanta Falcons are hopeful of getting one of their star players back on the field, while Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon seems frustrated with NFL rules. These teams will meet in a Week 16 clash, and here are bold predictions for the contest.
Both teams are looking toward 2026. The Falcons enter with a record of 5-9, while the Cardinals have lost six in a row and sit at 3-11.
But there are still numbers to put up, so let’s take a look at who should do what.
Falcons QB Kirk Cousins will throw for 275-plus yards
Cousins found his old game against the Buccaneers last week, tossing for 373 yards and three scores. He should do well again this week, but temper expectations somewhat. That’s because the Falcons should get things done on the ground. More on that later.
Because of Michael Penix Jr.’s injury, Cousins could be auditioning to be the Falcons’ starting quarterback in 2026, according to a post on X by Terrin Waack.
“Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on whether Kirk Cousins could be the starting quarterback come Week 1 of 2026 if Michael Penix Jr. is not fully back from his injury: “Everything is on the table. Obviously, we all sit down at the end of the season. And we'll have all those discussions. We'll talk about all those things. That certainly will be a part of it.
“When we went down the journey of Kirk Cousins, we planned on the amount of years that we put in his contract, and hopefully, we were able to potentially get more. So, we'll see where that goes and all those types of things. But that's definitely up for discussion once we get to the end of the season. We know we'll get Mike back next year. But that'll definitely be up for discussion.”
This could give Cousins a boost of hope. Clearly, he wasn’t happy being saddled as a No. 2 quarterback when he still felt he had starting days left in his arm.
And Cousins has proved some things to Morris already, according to another post by Waack.
“Quite honestly, I never thought he wasn't a valuable starting quarterback. He just didn't play like that at the end of last year when we needed him to most.”
However, first up are the Cardinals. And they will have trouble defending Cousins with the new-look tight end Kyle Pitts, young sensation running back Bijan Robinson, and the potential return of star wide receiver Drake London.
Falcons RB Bijan Robinson will total 120-plus yards
That may seem like a high total, but Robinson has reached that level seven times this season. And with the Cardinals being equally marginal on defense against both the run and pass, look for Robinson to split his attack about 60-40 in favor of the running game.
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said the Cardinals will see something his team hasn’t prepared for this season, according to NFL.com via Yahoo.com.
“Not like this guy,” Gannon said. “He’s special. You’re watching games, and it seems like it’s a highlight reel. There’s no doubt. High opinion of him. He’s one of the best ones out there. I don’t compare players, but this would be one of the better ones we face. In the run and pass game.”
Robinson has rushed for 1,174 yards with six touchdowns this season. He also has career highs with 64 catches for 684 yards. And he’s added two scores via receptions.
And there’s no doubt how Morris feels about him, according to NBC Sports.
“He’s the best player in the NFL,” Morris said. “[I'm] sorry you guys won’t get a chance to watch him in the postseason. He’s carrying everybody’s livelihood on his back.”
Cardinals TE Trey McBride will threaten 100 yards again
Three times in the last six games, McBride has raced past the 100-yard receiving mark. And the Falcons won’t be able to stop his assault again this week.
Part of it is fueled by targets. Here’s McBride’s target total for the season: 9, 7, 8, 11, 7, 11, 13, 9, 13, 11, 10, 9, 9, and 13. Yep, it’s easier to rack up yardage with all of that attention from the quarterback.
He’s on pace to become the first tight end to lead the NFL in receptions since Tony Gonzalez did it in 2004. The Falcons know the threat he brings, according to Sports Illustrated. But they are unlikely to be able to slow McBride down.
“He is really the engine of that offense and really the engine of the team in some ways,” Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. “He does everything well. [And] he is an absolute problem with the ball in his hands, which I can attest to. I saw him single-handedly beat corners, safeties, and linebackers. He's just a mismatch in every way.”
This should be a higher-scoring contest. Look for the Falcons to have too much firepower for the Cardinals to match. Predicted final: Falcons 31, Cardinals 24.
