MORSE: Week 9 Opponent: Atlanta Falcons Preview and Patriots Signings
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We only see the Falcons once every 8 years, so we are not very familiar with this foe. What kind of Front Office signs an aging veteran QB to a 4-year $100 million contract in the Spring before the Draft and then turns around and drafts a QB in the 1st Round #8 overall? They should have been fired. Kirk Cousins was not fully recovered from his torn Achilles injury when he signed. His performance early in the season showed this. Eventually, rookie Michael Penix took over.
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| QB | Michael Penix Q | Kirk Cousins | Emory Jones IR | – |
| RB | Bijan Robinson | Tyler Allgeier | Nathan Carter | – |
| WR | Drake London Q | KhaDarel Hodge | – | – |
| WR | Darnell Mooney Q | Casey Washington Q | ||
| WR | David Sills | Jamal Agnew | – | – |
| TE | Kyle Pitts Q | Charlie Woerner | Teagan Quitoriano | Feleipe Franks |
| LT | Jake Matthews | Michael Jerrell | Storm Norton IR | Tyrone Wheatley |
| LG | Matthew Bergeron | – | ||
| C | Ryan Neuzil | Jovaughn Gwyn | ||
| RG | Chris Lindstrom | Kyle Hinton | ||
| RT | Elijah Wilkinson | Jack Nelson | Kaleb McGary IR |
Penix, the 6’3” 220-pound Lefty QB, led Washington to the National Championship game. They lost to the Michigan Wolverines. Former Patriot’s 2nd round Draft Pick Ja’Lynn Polk was one of his receivers. These were his gawdy numbers for his 6-year college career:
G GS Rec Att Comp % Yards YPC TD INT YPG Rec Yard YPC TD
| 48 | 45 | 37–8 | 1,067 | 1,685 | 63.3 | 13,741 | 8.2 | 96 | 34 | 146.6 | 134 | 265 | 2.0 | 13 |
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Penix QB grade is 58.3, 32nd amongst all QBs. Last week, the Falcons were even worse, losing to the struggling Miami Dolphins at home 34-10. Penix did not play, and Kirk Cousins was horrible. Penix is listed as Questionable, but did practice on Wednesday and Thursday as Limited.
The Wide Receiver room is hurting as both Darrell Mooney and Drake London are recovering from injuries. London didn’t play last week. The 6’4”. 215-pound receiver was the Falcons 1st round selection (8) in the 2022 draft out of USC. For his career, he has 241 receptions, 3,042 yards, 12.6 YPC, and 15 TDs. This season, he leads the team with 38 catches on 63 targets, 469 yards, 12.3 YPC, and 2 TDs.
Mooney signed as a Free Agent this year on a three-year, $39M contract. The 5’11”, 180-pound Receiver was a 2020 5th round (173) pick by Chicago out of Tulane. Mooney is very fast as he ran a 4.38 40-yard dash. For the season, he has 11 catches on 25 targets for 158 yards, 14.4 YPC, and no TDs. Both players were listed as Limited on both Wednesday and Thursday’s practices. Watch the progress and especially look at the Friday Injury Report to see if either are listed as a Full Participant. If they don’t practice on Friday, look for either one to be left at home in Atlanta and not travel with the team to New England. Casey Washington is the next receiver with just 6 catches. He did not practice on Wednesday but was upgraded to Limited on Thursday. He is still listed as Questionable on Sunday.
Bijan Robinson is a top back in the league in just his 3rd season. The 1st round (8) pick of Atlanta in the 2023 draft played at Texas. He was selected to the pro Bowl last season, was an unanimous All-American, and 2x All-Big 12 1st team player. Here are his sats in his 1st two years:
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost |
| 17 | 16 | 214 | 976 | 4.6 | 38 | 4 | 58 | 487 | 8.4 | 71 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 17 | 17 | 304 | 1,456 | 4.8 | 37 | 14 | 61 | 431 | 7.1 | 29 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Robinson is a beast and the best back they have faced this year. Robinson is a very dangerous receiver out of the backfield. He has 33 receptions on 44 targets for a12.5 YPC and 2 TDs. Backup Tyler Allgeier is no slouch either. These are his stats coming into this year:
| GS | GP | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | |
| 50 | 10 | 533 | 2,362 | 4.4 | 44 | 10 | 47 | 420 | 8.9 | 75 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
The 5’10”, 225-pound back runs a 4.6 40 and was selected by Atlanta in 2023, 5th round (151) out of BYU. He is also an accomplished receiver out of the backfield with 5 receptions on 6 targets for 20 yards.
Kyle Pitts leads the team with 39 receptions on 47 targets, 344 yards, 8.8 YPC and 1TD. The 6’6”, 250-pound TE is a big target. He was drafted by Atlanta in the 1st round (4) of the 2021 Draft out of Florida. He is also listed as Questionable for Sunday. He was limited in practice on Wednesday and should be monitored. Charlie Worner is the only other TE to catch a pass this year with 1 reception.
The Offensive line is led by 33-year-old Jake Matthews at LT. The 6’5”, 310-pound tackle was a Pro Bowl selection in 2018, Unanimous All-American and 2 x 1st team All-SEC. His PFF grade is 73.4, 22nd amongst Tackles. In 2014 he was selected by Atlanta in the 1st round (6). At Left Guard is Matthew Bergeron, a Canadian from Syracuse. The 6’5”, 323-pound guard was taken by Atlanta in the 2nd round (38) of the 2023 Draft. His PFF grade is 71.2, good for 17th amongst guards. Center is Ryan Neuzil an Undrafted Free Agent out of Appalachian State. The 6’3”, 301-pound center has a very good PFF grade of 72.8, good for 7th amongst Centers.
Chris Lindstrom is another veteran player. The 2019 draft pick out of Boston College was taken in the 1st Round (14). The 6’3”, 307-pound guard is entering his 7th year in the league. His PFF grade is 73.5 good for 12th. The big issue on the line for Atlanta is at Right Tackle. Elijah Wilkinson, an Undrafted Free Agent out of UMass who stands 6’4”, 314-pounds, is the starter. He came into the league with Denver in 2017. His PFF grade is 57.6 good for 73rd. The Right Tackle has given up 3 sacks, 3 QB Hits, 16 Hurries and 22 Pressures. Jack Nelson is the backup at Right Tackle. He is a 2025 7th round pick (218) out of Wisconsin. The Falcons are so desperate they have former Patriot Tyrone Wheatley as the 3rd string LT.
| Starter | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | |
| LDE | Zach Harrison Q | – | – | – |
| NT | Ruke Orhorhoro | LaCale London | Sam Roberts | |
| RDE | David Onyemata | Brandon Dorlus | Ta’Quon Graham | |
| WLB | Leonard Floyd Q | Arnold Ebiketie | – | |
| LILB | Kaden Elliss | JD Bertrand | Josh Woods | |
| RILB | DeAngelo Malone | Ronnie Harrison | Troy Andersen O | Divine Deablo IR |
| SLB | Jalon Walker Q | James Pearce Jr. | Bralen Trice IR | – |
| LCB | Jessie Bates Q | DeMarcco Hellams | Malik Verdon O | |
| SS | A.J. Terrell Jr. | Natrone Brooks | – | |
| FS | Xavier Watts | Jordan Fuller | – | |
| RCB | Mike Hughes | Clark Phillips III IR | – | |
| NB | Billy Bowman Jr. Q | Dee Alford | Mike Ford |
On Defense, Atlanta has 5 starters listed as Questionable. Starting LDE Zach Harrison is listed as Questionable and Did Not Practice on Wednesday with a knee injury. The Falcon’s Defense is technically ranked as the #2 Defense giving up only 275.6 yards per game. Their Pass Defense ranks 1st giving up 149.1 yards per game. They are weak at stopping the run, ranked 21st, giving up 126.4 yards a game.
Zach Harrison is the starting LDE in the 3-4 Defense. He was a DNP on Wednesday and upgraded to Limited on Thursday. The 6’5”, 272-pound DT played at Ohio State. He was Atlanta’s 3rd round pick (76) in the 2023 Draft. His PFF Grade is 63.3, good for 47th amongst DTs. For the season, he has 14 Tackles, 4 Sacks, 0 QB Hits, and 10 Hurries.
Ruke Orhorhoro is the Nose Tackle. The 6’4” 295-pounmd NT played at Clemson. He was a 2024 2nd round (35) draft pick by Atlanta. His PFF Grade is very low 47.8 for 109th out of all DTs. For the season he has 14 Tackles. 2 Sacks. 1 QB Hit and 11 Hurries. RDE is David Onyemata. He stands 6’4”, 300-pounds and is a Canadian having played at Manitoba. He was selected in the 2016 Draft 4th Round (110) by New Orleans. His PFF grade is a robust 75.6, good for 17th amongst DE’s. This season he has 8 Tackles, 1 Sack, 0 QB Hits and 0 Pressures.
Former Patriots 2022 Draft 6th Round (201) pick Sam Roberts is a backup for Atlanta. The 6’5” 300-pound DL is listed as 3rd string NT. By NFL standards, Atlanta has an undersized Defensive Line. They are light and perhaps don’t have enough “sand in the pants” to hold up in the run game.
The strength of the Falcons Defense is their Linebackers. Leonard Floyd and Jalon Walker are listed as Questionable, and both have been Limited in the first two practices this week. Floyd, 33, is entering his 10th season in the league since being selected in he 2016 1st round (9) by Chicago. The 6’5”, 240-pound Edge played at Georgia. His PFF Grade is 60.2, good for 75th amongst Edge players. For the season he has 9 Tackles, 1.5 Sacks, 6 QB Hits and 8 Hurries.
James Pearce is an exciting rookie selected in this year’s 1st Round (26). The Tennessee product had some off field issues that prevented him from being drafted higher. That’s the Falcons gain if they can work with him. The 6’5”, 243-pound Edge would replace either Walker or Floyd if they are unable to go. Pearce is an excellent pass-rusher. His PFF grade is only 59.4 which is 107 amongst Edge players. He has 8 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 QB Hit and 11 Hurries in limited play. Kaden Ellis is the LILB. The 6’3”, 238-pound LB from Idaho was a 2019 7th round (244) pick of New Orleans. His PFF grade is an excellent 71 for 26th amongst all LBs. On the season he has 48 Tackles, 2 Sacks. 5 QB Hits, 10 Hurries and 1 INT.
DeAngelo Malone is slated to fill the RILB position. He has appeared in 5 games this year and has played only 19 snaps. The 6’4” 240-pound LB played for Western Kentucky. His PFF grade is 55.7 but he has so few snaps he isn’t ranked yet. He has 7 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 0 QB Hits, 0 Hurries, and 1 INT. Jalon Walker is the other starter on the Edge. He was this year’s other 1st Round (15) selection. He is a player I would have liked to see the Patriots select if they had not gone for Campbell. The 6’2”, 245-pound Edge played at Georgia and was a member of Georgia’s National Championship Team. He was also a 1st Team All-American and 2nd Team All-SEC. His PFF Grade is 62.3, which is 70th amongst all Edge players. For the season, he has 14 Tackles, 1 Sack, 1 QB Hit, and 6 Hurries.
I am not that impressed with the Falcons secondary even if they are the #1 Pass Defense in the league. They are very vulnerable this week with Jessie Bates and Billy Bowman listed as Questionable. Bates is 6’1” 200-pounds, from Wake Forest. The 29-year-old entered the league in the 2018 Draft, selected in 2nd round (54) by Cincinnati. His PFF grade is a respectful 62.2 good for 47th. His season stats are 45 Tackles, 0 sacks, 1 QB Hits, and 0 Hurries. AJ Terrell is a very good corner. The 6’ 1”, 195-pound DB out of Clemson was a 1st round (16) pick by Atlanta in the 2016 Draft. He has a 56.3 grade good for 73rd. On the season he has 25 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 0 QB Hits and 1 Hurry.
Rookie Xavier Watts from Notre Dame is having a positive impact on the Falcons secondary. The 6’, 203-pound Safety was taken in the 3rd Round (96) and leads the team with 41 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 0 QB Hits, 0 Hurries and 2 INTs. Mike Hughes is the RCB and is a little small for the position at 5’ 10”, 189-pounds. He was selected in the 1st Round (30) of the 2018 Draft by Minnesota. He attended Central Florida. His PFF grade is 57.9 good for 94th amongst CBs. His stats this season include 28 tackles, 1 sack, 0 QB Hits, and 0 Hurries.
Slot Corner is Billy Bowman another rookie from this year’s draft. The 5’10” DB was selected in the 4th round (118) out of Oklahoma. Bowman’s PFF grade is 56.6 good for 71st amongst Safeties. For the year, he has 17 Tackles with 1 Sack, 0 QB Hits, 0 Pressures, and 1 INT. I will add Dee Alford since either Bates or Bowman could miss the game. Alford played for Tusculum and was an Undrafted Free Agent. The 5’ 11”, 175 Nickel Back has a PFF grade of 61.6 which is 51st. On the season, he has 24 Tackles, 0 Sacks, 0 QG Hits, 0 Hurries, and 1 INT.
| Starter | 2nd | |
| PK | Parker Romo | – |
| P | Bradley Pinion | – |
| H | Bradley Pinion | – |
| PR | Jamal Agnew | Mike Hughes |
| KR | Jamal Agnew | Mike Hughes |
| LS | Liam McCullough |
Many thought that John Parker Romo won the kicking competition in New England. The fact is, there was no real kicking competition because the new regime was not going to cut a rookie draft pick over a guy from the Practice Squad. Parker-Romo has been the Falcon’s kicker since Gane 3 when Atlanta cut Younghoe Koo. Parker is hitting only 76.9% of his kicks.
Andy Borregales has settled down and been very consistent at 92%. Parker-Romo does not handle the Kickoffs. That job is Punter Bradley Pinion’s job. As a punter he is way below average at just 39.3 net Yards which is 25th in the league. Kickoffs and Punt Returns are Jamal Agnew’s responsibility. His 9.7 PR average would be 7th if he had enough returns to qualify. On Kickoffs he has a 24.2 average which is 33rd in the league. Recently extended Marcus Jone of the Patriots still leads the league with a 21.6 Yard/Return.
Miami came into Atlanta and thumped them at home. Granted they were injured. With Kirk Cousins replacing Michael Penix and Drake London didn’t play either. Baltimore goes into Miami and embarrasses them on National TV. This leads me to believe that Atlanta isn’t very good. The Patriots have shut down the opposition run game for 8 straight weeks. Why should I expect anything different this week? The Falcons come in as the #2 Overall Defense. I hope they watched what happened to the #1 Defense in the league a week ago. I don’t think the Falcons Defense are that good. I expect Drake Maye to do what he has done to almost every team he has played this year. My prediction is a 27-13 score with the Patriots dominating another opponent.
The Patriots sign RB Terrell Jennings and SS John Saunders to the 53-man roster. They also add RB D’Ernest Johnson to the Practice Squad.
Saunders was signed from the Dolphins Practice Squad to fill the void made when the Pats traded Kyle Dugger. While not a perfect comparison, Saunders Jr. does bring a more optimistic outlook to the table as far as his positional flexibility is concerned. During his college career at Miami (OH) and especially Ole Miss, he showed that he can move between spots in the defensive backfield without much limitation — a level of versatility that likely was appealing to New England’s decision makers even before this week: the team had him in town for a pre-draft visit during the spring.
Even though he does not offer high-end speed, the 6-foot-2, 210-pounder has a well-rounded skillset that should allow him to be employed in a variety of ways.
At Ole Miss, Saunders led the SEC in takeaways with 3 INT and 4 Forced Fumbles in 2024. He started 48 games in his college career.
As expected, the Patriots announced they have signed RB Terrell Jennings to the 53-man roster. Jennings, 24, was originally signed by New England as a rookie free agent from Florida A&M on May 13, 2024. He started last season on the practice squad before finishing the year on the 53-man roster. The 6-foot, 217-pounder, began the 2025 season on the practice squad but was elevated to the active roster for the last three games. Overall, he has played in six games and has 20 rushing attempts for 66 yards.
Johnson, 29, originally entered the NFL as a rookie free agent with the Cleveland Browns out of South Florida in 2019 and played with the Browns through the 2022 season. The 5-foot-11, 205-pounder, signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as an unrestricted free agent in 2023 and the Baltimore Ravens in 2025. Johnson spent time on the Ravens and Arizona Cardinals practice squads earlier this season. He was released by Arizona from the practice squad on Oct. 28, 2025. Overall, he has played in 96 games with three starts and has 215 rushing attempts for 989 yards with 3 touchdowns and 63 receptions for 465 yards. Johnson has also returned 33 kicks for 772 yards
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I enjoy this article weekly. No one does a team assessment quite like it. Thx Mark.