The Falcons are heading back into Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a very different vibe than the last time they were there.
Two weeks after their own fans booed them off the field, Atlanta comes home riding a two-game winning streak and carrying the kind of momentum this franchise has rarely had in recent memory. Michael Penix Jr. is set for his home debut, and the Falcons have looked like a completely different offense with him in the huddle.
Since Penix took over, Atlanta has outscored the Packers and Saints by 42 points combined. The ground game has done most of the damage, piling up 447 rushing yards over those two games for a +380 rushing differential. Penix has also been efficient through the air, completing 73.3% of his passes for 479 yards with two touchdown throws and one interception.
After the flat offensive start to the season, the Falcons will be hoping the last two weeks are the real version of this team.
That gets put to the test in prime time against Baltimore, a group that has long lived among the AFC’s heavyweights. Even without Lamar Jackson, the Ravens still bring plenty of punch, especially on the ground. Atlanta has opened the season with the league’s best run defense, but this is a serious exam.
Baltimore is averaging 153.5 rushing yards per game, good for fourth in the NFL, and Derrick Henry is already fourth in the league in rushing with 374 yards. Tyler Huntley will handle quarterback duties in place of Jackson, and while he is not the same kind of threat, he remains a capable fit for Baltimore’s offense.
Injuries could also shape this one. Zay Flowers, Baltimore’s top option at wide receiver, is questionable. On the other side, the Ravens will be without All-Pro edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, which gives Atlanta another opening in a game where it already has a chance to pull off a big home win.
For the Falcons, Za'Darius Smith is out, and tackle Jake Matthews is aiming to play in his 200th straight start.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch the Falcons’ Week 5 matchup with the Ravens.
In Other News...
Falcons Fans Should Track These Weekend Matchups For A Reason
The weekends college slate offers more than just a few eye-catching matchups for casual fans, because it also gives the Falcons a chance to start lining up the next wave of NFL talent. For a team that lives in draft talk as much as any in the league, games involving schools like Georgia, Alabama, UCLA, Oregon, Texas and Oklahoma can double as a scouting guide, especially with 2027 and 2028 prospects beginning to come into focus.
There are three games in particular that deserve close attention for Atlanta observers, since each one carries real draft implications for the road ahead. The names on those rosters are still early in the evaluation process, but the stakes are already clear for a front office that will keep watching how this group develops, and for fans who like to get a head start on who might matter to the Falcons before the rest of the league fully catches on. [Read more 🡒]
Jahan Dotson Is Giving Falcons Fans A Reason To Reconsider This Move
Jahan Dotson arrived in Atlanta with something to prove after an up-and-down stretch that began with a productive rookie year in Washington, dipped in 2023 and then included a useful role in Philadelphias Super Bowl run. The Falcons brought him in on a two-year deal as part of an effort to add stability and juice to the passing game, hoping a fresh start would help him recapture the form that once made him a promising young receiver.
Instead, Dotson stepped into a situation clouded by quarterback injuries that disrupted the offense early and made every target harder to come by. Even so, there have been enough encouraging signs to make Falcons fans wonder whether this move could pay off in a bigger way than expected, especially if the passing game ever settles into something closer to normal. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Winning Streak Just Raised A Big Trade Deadline Question
Two straight wins have pushed Atlanta back into the conversation after an 0-2 start, and now the early-season turnaround comes with a familiar roster-building question. As the trade deadline approaches, the Falcons improved footing has been tied to a possible pursuit of veteran pass rush help, with the defense still a spot that could use more proven edge production.
One name to watch is Jadeveon Clowney, who has opened the season with the Houston Texans and shown he can still get into the backfield, posting 1.5 sacks and five combined tackles in two games. Any talk of a move would put Atlanta in a larger market for a veteran defender, but the more immediate takeaway is that the Falcons recent run has made them a team worth monitoring for a deadline swing. [Read more 🡒]