FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Falcons News Now is your go-to source for the real stories coming out of Flowery Branch each week. We're providing a one-stop shop for you to browse through all Falcons-related news at the end of every week of the 2025 season — who's winning reps, who's earning trust and what's happening in and around your favorite team.

From roster move analysis, practice intel, big-play highlights and so much more, this isn't just the news you need, it's what shapes Sundays in Atlanta.

Ultimately, if something matters to this locker room, it makes this newsletter.

So, if you eat, sleep and breathe Falcons football? This is your inside edge — every update, every storyline, all in one place. And this week? The Falcons are looking to bounce back after a Week 1 loss to make a prime-time statement in Week 2 against the Minnesota Vikings.

The News, Now

Key developments on the field and roster move analysis

The biggest news of the week involved the Falcons' response to Younghoe Koo missing a 44-yard field goal in the final seconds of last Sunday's loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

On Monday, Koo addressed the miss while head coach Raheem Morris said the Falcons were planning to bring in competition at the kicker position. They did so through Tuesday tryouts, and signed kicker Parker Romo to the team's practice squad that same day.

The other news of the week had to do with the statuses of key Falcons receivers. Darnell Mooney and Drake London are working through shoulder injuries. Though the Falcons did share some position news about the duo's status, they were limited throughout the week but were not given a game designation — meaning they are available to suit up for Atlanta in Minnesota Sunday.

On the other hand, fellow receiver Casey Washington's status was a bit more worrisome when he popped up on Wednesday's injury report with a concussion. He was eventually ruled out in Friday's game report. Meanwhile, the status of two Falcons rookies remains questionable for Sunday's game.

You can view all three Falcons injury reports below:

Wednesday, Sept. 10: Casey Washington misses first practice due to concussion

Thursday, Sept. 11: Billy Bowman Jr. added to list

Friday, Sept. 12: Drake London, Darnell Mooney cleared to play

How did the rest of the league fair in Week 1? Tori McElhaney breaks it down in her weekly power rankings while Will McFadden zeroed in on the NFC South's performance.

Plus, check out this week's mailbags where Tori and Will answer your burning questions about the state of the Falcons.

Falcons Mailbag, No 1 via Tori McElhaney: How do you evaluate Michael Penix Jr.'s Week 1 play? What's going on with Atlanta's kicking game future? What are some examples of defensive growth?

Falcons Mailbag, No. 2 via Will McFadden: Why is the pistol formation a part of Atlanta's defensive plan? How do the Falcons prevent leaky quarterback plays?

Finally, this week's Nerdy Birds statistical spotlight zeroes in on Michael Penix Jr. and his quick processing, by the numbers.

Fan Zone Highlights

Tweets, videos and podcasts you may have missed

In the Nest

Behind-the-scenes stories, locker room insight into team culture

Perfect? Michael Penix Jr. says he knows he's not, but he strives to be as he leads the Atlanta Falcons in 2025.

"I know I'm not, but I want to be," Penix said. "I'm going to do everything I can to get as close as I can to that. But I do feel like I do put some pressure on myself. I feel like my fiancé helps me a lot getting through that. She always is on me about just being so hard on myself, stuff like that. But I feel it. I feel it every day.

"That's what comes with this position. That's what comes with a small-town kid making it to this level. I've been through a lot to get to this, to this spot. So, sometimes I do expect a lot of myself. It's probably not as healthy. But I know whenever I step inside the line, my mind is clear and I'm ready to go play football."

Game Day Intel

Upcoming match previews and predictions

Falcons depth chart released for Week 2 vs. the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday Night Football.

Who do the experts have taking the win Sunday? Terrin Waack has got you covered with a comprehensive list in this week's Experts Picks.

Stats and milestones brought to you by StatsPerform:

• Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy will face off in the first SNF matchup where both quarterbacks have a career total of five starts or fewer. Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott are the only other quarterback duo to have 10 starts or fewer and face off on SNF.
• Xavier Watts recorded six tackles and two passes defended on Sunday. He is the only Atlanta rookie over the last 30 seasons to record five or more tackles and have multiple passes defended in his first career game.
• The average margin of victory in Week 1 was 7.56 points, the third-lowest margin of victory in Week 1 since 1970, trailing only 1979 (6.79 points) and 1983 (7.00 points). On kickoff weekend, 12 games were decided by one score (eight points), tied with 2013 for the most such games in Week 1 all-time.