Things could not have been much worse for the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, losing Michael Penix Jr., and also seeing Drake London go down with an injury. And here is what those injuries mean for the nightmare Falcons’ season.
Atlanta entered the year with high hopes, believing its two first-round picks would transform the defense to match an emerging offense. Instead, the Falcons are in the middle of a five-game free fall, sending their record to 3-7 and basically eliminating them from playoff contention.
The last three losses were by a combined total of 10 points, and the season is in the tank.
Losing QB Michael Penix Jr. is a crusher
It is thought Penix will miss the rest of the season, according to a post on X by Adam Schefter.
“ESPN sources: Falcons QB Michael Penix suffered a potentially season-ending knee injury during Sunday’s loss to the Panthers. Penix will be seeking a second opinion, but it is not encouraging.”
It’s not the first knee injury for Penix, who suffered ACL tears in college in 2018 and 2020.
Although he hadn’t established himself as a standout this season, Penix had moderately good numbers with 60.1% completions and 1,982 yards passing with nine touchdowns and only three interceptions.
Now the Falcons will be forced to turn to Kirk Cousins, who hasn’t looked good in his two appearances. He threw for 173 in a blowout loss to the Dolphins in his only start. And in Sunday’s relief role, he managed only 6 of 14 passing for 48 yards. That helped turn a potential win into a 30-27 loss to the Panthers.
Loss of WR Drake London is also very harmful
The Falcons have one main threat in the passing game, and London’s injury will leave them without that. On the season, London has an impressive 60 catches for 810 yards and six touchdowns. He provided a valuable goal-line target for Penix.
There is good news, however, as London’s time out of the lineup may be limited. But he will be out for their Week 12 game against the Saints.
And it will be a time for team learning, said Raheem Morris, according to The Athletic.
“We will go find out what Kirk does well this week,” Morris said. “(Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson) and those guys will work together depending on what happens with Michael.”
Morris said his team should have done better at finishing against the Panthers
“You have to find a way to win games,” Morris said. “It definitely is on me. There is no such thing as a losing team, only a losing leader. I’m the leader, and we lost.”
These injuries won’t help Morris keep his job. He is now just 15-23 in three seasons with the team. And the Falcons seem discouraged.
“It definitely sucks,” running back Bijan Robinson said. “The biggest thing we have to do is stay off social media. That’s such a worldly thing. It’s just controlled by the devil, and if it gets in this locker room, that’s what divides locker rooms.”
So where do the Falcons go from here?
Looking at their upcoming schedule, they’re probably looking at a 7-10 or 6-11 finish. That means a decent draft pick, but not a great one. The Falcons will have to make a decision about adding more to the defensive side of the ball.
This year they went linebacker, defensive end, safety, safety, and tackle. Despite all of those picks, the Falcons haven’t been a dominant defense. They are No. 6 against the pass, but No. 27 against the run. So, it makes sense they would grab a run-stuffer as their first-round pick.
That is, of course, if they’re happy moving forward with Penix as their franchise quarterback. His injury history and the current injury will make that a potentially more difficult decision.
For now, they will muddle through what is left of the season. At least they have a favorite role ahead. They will travel to take on the lowly Saints.
