FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Another week, another mailbag. Only this time we're chatting after a win. First time since Week 7 that has happened. Feels nice, yeah?

The Falcons' offensive operation looked very different with Kirk Cousins at quarterback compared to what the Falcons were doing to this point with Michael Penix Jr. Is this an expected trend? And what does it say about Penix's development? That's the main topic of today's mailbag.

Let's get to it.

Camereon W. from Snellville

Hey Tori. I am not sure if you have the answer to this question but I have to ask. WHERE HAS ALL THIS PLAY-ACTION AND UNDER CENTER stuff been all year long? We have been missing the chunk plays through the air all year long. Fans have been screaming to get under center and run play action all year long. It's so baffling. Is Michaal Penix not capable? We rarely ran the pistol against the Saints. It literally seems like the team had two playbooks. One for Penix and one for Kirk Cousins. Please help me understand this from your perspective.

Raheem Morris was asked these very questions after the game Sunday, and again (by yours truly) on Monday. Let me summarize as best I can.

Morris said after the game that when Cousins came off his torn Achilles injury last season "he felt a little bit more comfortable in the pistol." So, now that Cousins is "back to what he's been in the past," per Morris, the offensive play style was put in place to "accommodate Kirk."

Did that specifically mean going under center with more obvious play-action?

"Realistically, I don't know if it was an uptick in play action. It was probably about the same whether we were in pistol or whether we were up under [center] with the number of play actions. I think we got the big explosive last night that we were able to get out of it that was really turned into it. I don't have the exact numbers in front of me on what it was and all those types of things. But, when you look at it from a defensive perspective, really pistol and dot, when we play it on defense, usually it's the same thing. Every once in a while, you have some teams that come out in pistol and they can dropback pass, like we were able to do a la Tampa last year with Kirk or a la a couple games this year, because it kind of hides some of your gun stuff that you want to do when you are passing. So, it's just kind of a matter of what you think you need in order to go out and win that football game. Some of the concepts, some of the things that we do with Kirk, some of the ways we're able to create the pocket for Kirk. Kirk's going to be there. We know that. So, to be able to make him nice and comfy and cozy in that pocket, some of the things we wanted to do with our protection schemes and that nature, I think all those things factored in. But, how do we get the best version of all of our guys and our quarterback and find a way to go out there and get a win. I've got to give those guys a lot of complimentary work on what they did last week, being able to do those things. Even changing the personnel groupings somewhat more than we were accustomed to, and that wasn't because of Kirk. That was something that we wanted to do to make sure that we can get the best out of our guys."

Was this a request specifically from Cousins during the week of game planning?

"We have a system, and the system's been in place when Kirk was here before. Obviously, he was a starter. He was brought in to do those things, so we kind of know what it looks like, what that whole process looks like, what Kirk likes. So, it doesn't go so far as Kirk coming in and saying what he wants, but we build a plan like we do every Tuesday. Obviously, Kirk comes in, he's able to have a lot of input into it. So, when he comes in and we can say exactly what he likes, especially after we get some practice reps and do those things and go out there and look at it. I love this concept, love this, love that, love this scheme, love being here, love this protection for these reasons. I like to do these things, and it's just what you want to have with your quarterback, the ability to go out there and communicate to make sure you get the best stuff across, and that's what they're going to do this week. I see it going that way moving forward."

Actions matter more than words here. Based on what we've seen, it seems likely that 1) Cousins wasn't fully comfortable coming off his Achilles injury and avoided going under center to keep from turning his back to the defense, which limited those looks last year; and 2) the Falcons may be using more gun/pistol for a similar reason and by the same logic with Penix, who may not yet be comfortable or efficient operating under center. Until someone refutes this outright, this is the opinion of which I have.

The best offenses and quarterbacks in the game right now (think Matthew Stafford and Jared Goff) are utilizing under-center looks and play action at a higher rate. If Penix's player comp coming out of the draft was Stafford, the Falcons have a ways to go in Penix's development to get him more comfortable using some of the elements that have made the Rams' quarterback so successful.

Anita D. from Stockbridge

The injuries continue to pile up. Are the Falcons just unlucky or is this a sign that the strength and conditioning program needs an overhaul?

I do not believe the injuries to the Falcons in 2025 have anything to do with the strength and conditioning program. Injuries happen, and in the Falcons' case many of them have been contact injuries — which even the best strength and conditioning training cannot keep from happening in games as physical as those at the NFL level.

Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Bergeron's lower leg injuries are very common to offensive linemen as the line of scrimmage is a dirty place with bodies falling into legs every single play. It is very uncommon for entire offensive lines to not experience injuries over the course of a season.

On the play where Michael Penix Jr. partially tore his ACL, you can clearly see it awkwardly bend as he is being tackled. Same thing with Drake London's PCL sprain.

Because rookies go straight from college seasons, to draft training, to OTAs, training camps, preseason games and then a full NFL season in their first professional year, soft tissue injuries like Jalon Walker's groin issue linger because of overuse and no real time off.

And then sometimes, freak things happen, like Billy Bowman Jr. taking a wrong step on the practice field and reportedly tearing his Achilles. You or I could have done the same thing walking down steps.

I know the injuries are piling up. But there isn't an injury the Falcons have experienced in 2025 that points to deficiencies amongst the staff. I would argue things in that weight room are as solid as they have been in the years I have been working for the organization. I think you don't have to look very far to find evidence of that. The NFLPA yearly report cards tell the tale. The previous strength and conditioning staff under Arthur Smith was given an F- in the final report card of which they were a part of, 32nd in the league.

According to the report, only 24% of players feel like they get the best individualized plan (32nd overall – the next lowest is 65%). The players felt that the strength coaches detract from their overall success (32nd overall).

It was the only instance of a department across the league where players felt it detracted from their success Players described it as a toxic environment. Players ultimately said this was "not a championship-level strength program, let alone an NFL-quality strength program."

At the start of 2025, Falcons' players ranked the new staff with an A.

According to the report, "95% of players feel they get an individualized training plan from their strength coaching staff, ranking the team 16 out of 32. The Falcons players feel that their strength coaches significantly contribute to their overall success, a rank of 5 out of 32 teams."

The players are very complimentary of their new staff compared to their previous one saying: "they do an excellent job" and "it is 100x better than it was with the prior staff".

Injuries happen in a sport as physical as this one. Players cannot be fully protected from them, especially the ones that come from contact. I would argue the vast majority of injuries that have plagued the Falcons recently have no direct link to the strength and conditioning staff.