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 have a Thursday night rematch slated against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The News, Now
Key developments on the field and roster move analysis
Pro Bowl voting is rolling right along towards its final day, which is this coming Monday, Dec. 15. The editorial team continues to put a spotlight on select players who deserve your votes.
Tori McElhaney was up first this week, highlighting one of the brightest stars of the entire league: Bijan Robinson.
Robinson is now just the third player in NFL history with 3,500-plus rushing yards and 1,500-plus receiving yards in his first three seasons. He joins Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson and former Falcons great William Andrews on that list.
Later in the week, Terrin Waack wrote about the main cog in the Falcons' defensive wheel: Kaden Elliss.
Elliss is one of two NFL players this season with at least 85 total tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. He is the only player in the NFC with that stat line.
In non-Pro-Bowl related news, the Falcons claimed wide receiver Malik Heath off NFL waivers Monday.
Heath had been with the Green Bay Packers but was released last Saturday. Heath has appeared in 11 games this season, totaling six receptions for 86 yards. He caught at least one pass in four different games.
Meanwhile organizationally, the Falcons have been granted an international home game in 2026. The date, location and opponent will be finalized and announced at a later time.
Then, on Tuesday night, former Falcons legends Michael Vick and Alex Mack were officially inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
As for injury updates, the Falcons had a few, including a handful that could affect starting lineups come Thursday night. You can view Atlanta's reports from the week below and check out the full reports from Atlanta and Bucs here.
Tuesday, Dec. 9: A.J. Terrell limited as Atlanta holds walk through
Wednesday, Dec. 10: Drake London out, 4 starters questionable vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
How did the rest of the league fair in Week 14? Tori McElhaney breaks it down in her weekly power rankings, while Will McFadden highlighted the NFC South's performance.
Speaking of Will, with a Thursday night game coming up, we can finally include a story series you've probably seen him working on all year: The Fantasy Football Forecast. It is not usually included in this weekly recap series because fantasy football lineups have to be set before Falcons News Now drops late Friday afternoons. But with a Thursday Night Football rematch on with the Bucs, you've still got time to follow Will's recommendations. Get to it!
Fan Zone Highlights
Tweets, videos and podcasts you may have missed
In the Nest
Behind-the-scenes stories, locker room insight into team culture
Atlanta's third-down offense ranks 31st in the league with a 31% conversion rate. This week, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson called the Falcons' third-down conversion percentage "the most disappointing part" of Atlanta's offense.
"We started off the season kind of not playing that well in the red zone; we were playing well on third down," Terrin Waack reported from Robinson's Tuesday presser. "Then, obviously, it just has not gone well in terms of third down."
As Terrin found, Robinson's assessment was correct.
The Falcons were tied for 29th with a 44.4% red-zone touchdown rate from Weeks 1-7 and improved to third with a 70% red-zone touchdown rate from Weeks 8-14.
Using the same ranges for third-down conversion rates, the Falcons were ninth from Weeks 1-7 at 42.3% but fell to 31st from Weeks 8-14 at 22.7%.
With four games left in the season, Robinson and the Falcons are hoping to flip production on third down in a similar way as they had red-zone efficiency previously.
Game Day Intel
Upcoming match previews and predictions
Catch up on any Falcons lineup changes in the Week 15 depth chart.
Stats and milestones brought to you by StatsPerform:
- The Falcons have won two consecutive games in Tampa Bay, tied for their second-longest road win streak against the Buccaneers all-time (four straight from 2016-19). Each of Atlanta's last five games against the Buccaneers have been decided by six points or fewer, the longest
active streak among divisional opponents in the NFL. - The Falcons have had 15 players record at least one sack this season, the most in the NFL. It is the second-most players the Falcons have had record a sack in a single season since individual sacks were officially tracked in 1982 (2006 – 16).
- James Pearce Jr. leads all NFL rookies with six sacks this season, while Xavier Watts leads NFL rookies with three interceptions. The Falcons would be the second team since individual sacks were officially tracked in 1982 to have the rookie leader in sacks and interceptions in a single season (2020, Washington Football Team).
