The Falcons’ offseason turnover made for an easy kind of curiosity project, and six weeks into the season, there’s a pretty clear theme running through the names they let walk: some are thriving, some are surviving, and a few are stuck fighting for scraps. Atlanta is 2-4, momentum is fading, and it’s a good moment to see how a handful of former Falcons are handling life elsewhere.
Kirk Cousins has been the loudest reminder that a change in the headset can change everything. The former Falcons quarterback kept rolling in the Raiders’ 33-30 loss to the Bills, finishing 28 of 41 for 310 yards and two touchdowns.
Both fourth-quarter scores went to Tre Tucker, including a 12-yard throw with elite placement on it. Cousins is now tied with Brock Purdy and Trevor Lawrence for the league lead with 14 passing touchdowns, and the source material makes clear that Michael Penix Jr.’s success means Atlanta shouldn’t regret moving on from Cousins in favor of a struggling Tua Tagovailoa.
Clark Phillips III got his own little revenge game, and he made the most of it. The Bears finally gave him his first defensive snaps of the season in Week 6, and in 22 snaps against Atlanta, he turned in three pressures.
One of those came on a play where he made Bijan Robinson look silly in pass protection and Michael Penix Jr. didn’t throw his way. Phillips was likely headed for a cut if the Falcons hadn’t dealt him to Chicago in the Gervon Dexter Sr. trade on roster cutdown day, and now he’s at least putting a case together for more work.
Arnold Ebiketie also saw a major spike in playing time, though for a very different reason. With injuries hitting the edge for Philadelphia, he was on the field for a staggering 72 snaps in the Eagles’ 25-14 loss to the Panthers.
He came away with two pressures, six tackles and three stops. That said, the role is not expected to last once Philadelphia gets back to full strength, with Jonathan Greenard in and out of the lineup, Nolan Smith in concussion protocol, and Jalyx Hunt expected to return soon.
Nate Landman has kept building his reputation with the Rams, and another busy day pushed him further up the league tackle leaderboard. He’s now 12th in the NFL in total tackles, and against the Cardinals he put together his third straight game with 10-plus tackles, including six solo stops.
It wasn’t spotless, though. He missed two tackles and allowed a 26-yard reception on the only target he saw in the Week 6 loss.
Ruke Orhorhoro has been trending the right way in Jacksonville, even if the results haven’t fully shown it yet. The Jaguars lost 34-31 to the Texans in London, but Orhorhoro matched his season high with three pressures.
Over his last four games, he has 10 pressures, and the source points out that he’s been improving each week in a new system. Jacksonville’s pass rush win rate sits seventh in the NFL, and Orhorhoro is a big part of that.
Dee Alford quietly delivered one of the better individual outings among this group in Buffalo’s 33-30 win over the Raiders. Working in the nickel, he was targeted twice and gave up just one catch for nine yards.
That’s a solid day by any measure, especially given that the source notes he’s 96th out of 102 in PFF coverage and defensive grade. Even so, his hold on the job could be shaky, with Tre’Davious White just signed to the Bills’ practice squad and Maxwell Hairston potentially moving inside to the nickel.
Tyler Allgeier got the volume in Arizona, but not much else followed. With Jeremiyah Love sidelined by an ankle injury, the matchup with the Rams looked like an opening for him.
Instead, he turned 18 carries into just 38 yards, a 2.1 yards-per-carry clip, and was outgained by Bam Knight, who had 80 rushing yards on 15 carries in the Cardinals’ 18-16 win. The source frames it bluntly: his role figures to get even murkier once Love is back.
Darnell Mooney’s season in New York has stayed quiet, and Week 6 didn’t change that. In the Giants’ 34-27 loss to the Saints, he was targeted twice and did not make a catch.
He did chip in 20 rushing yards before leaving with a neck injury, but the receiving line remained empty. The source also notes that Jahan Dotson has been a revelation, which has only added to Mooney’s muted role as WR2.
As the Falcons look back at the offseason exits, the split is easy to see. Cousins is cooking, Phillips is clawing for more snaps, Landman keeps stacking tackles, and Orhorhoro is settling in.
Others are still trying to find a foothold. Six weeks in, that’s the whole story.
In Other News...
Falcons Have A Bigger Michael Penix Jr. Problem Than Fans Realize
Michael Penix Jr. has given the Falcons enough reason to believe they may have something at quarterback. In four starts this season, he has looked poised enough to keep the offense moving, with deep passing and play-action becoming real strengths as Atlanta has leaned into what he does best. The early returns have been encouraging enough that the conversation around him is no longer just about upside, but about how quickly the rest of the operation can catch up.
The problem is the support system around him still looks fragile, especially up front. Atlantas offensive line has struggled to hold up against pressure, and the issues at tackle have made the protection picture even murkier. For a young quarterback showing promise, that matters because the development arc is only as stable as the time he gets to throw, and right now the Falcons still have work to do before Penix can be evaluated in something closer to ideal conditions. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Suddenly Face A Linebacker Problem They Cant Ignore
The Falcons roster shuffle this week was about more than just a change at quarterback. While Atlanta signed Andy Dalton and moved on from Cooper Rush, the bigger immediate concern was on defense, where the team also dipped into the market for help by adding edge rusher Charles Snowden from the Washington Commanders practice squad and bringing linebacker TJ Quinn onto its practice squad.
Quinn, an undrafted free agent who previously spent time with the Green Bay Packers, gives Atlanta another body at linebacker as injuries have thinned that group. Divine Deablo is among the players the Falcons are trying to cover for, and Kendal Daniels is dealing with a situation that has left his availability very much up in the air, forcing the team to keep patching the position while it waits for more clarity. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Fans Suddenly Have A Jessie Bates Trade Deadline Worry
With Atlanta sitting at 2-4 heading into Week 7, the Falcons are already navigating a season that feels like it could swing quickly in either direction. The schedule ahead is not doing them many favors, and even before the trade deadline enters the picture, the teams margin for error is thin enough that every result seems to carry extra weight.
Against that backdrop, one of the more jarring names to surface in deadline conversation is Jessie Bates III. The Pro Bowl safety has been a cornerstone for Atlanta, but his status has suddenly become part of the bigger question around the teams direction if the losses keep piling up and playoff hopes fade. Because he is under contract through 2026, any move involving Bates would also force the Falcons to weigh whether they can realistically line up an extension before deciding what comes next. [Read more 🡒]