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 fly to Germany for the first-ever, regular-season NFL game in Berlin. They face a seven-win Indianapolis Colts team. Let's take a closer look at the matchup.
The News, Now
Key developments on the field and roster move analysis
The biggest news of the week coming out of the Falcons' camp revolved around the team's trip to Germany and continued changes at the kicker position. You can check out all of the official fan happenings over the weekend while the team is in Berlin.
After missing an extra point that would have tied the game at Gillette Stadium vs. the Patriots last week, the Falcons released kicker Parker Romo and signed Zane Gonzalez in his place, who was actually a part of the initial tryout group that Romo was in when Younghoe Koo encountered kicking struggles.
"When they went out there to compete, it was a very tight battle," head coach Raheem Morris said. "Zane was the elder statesman, and Parker was the younger statesman. We went with the younger statesman."
Now, they will look to Gonzalez as the team's third kicker of 2025. They need him to be a "consistent presence" at a position that has struggled to find consistency.
The other news of the week involved the evolving status of two key starters on the offensive line: Chris Lindstrom and Matthew Bergeron. The Falcons will be without Bergeron this weekend as he recovers from an ankle injury sustained last Sunday against the Patriots. Kyle Hinton is expected to fill in at left guard.
"He's been in that next-man-up mentality for us for a while," Morris said of Hinton. "He has started and played in a couple games for us here and within the same system. He's been around for a while. It's the reason you sign those kind of guys, because you got so much trust and belief in those guys to go out there and get it done when you need to get it done."
Meanwhile, Lindstrom — along with another starter — was listed as questionable for Sunday's game.
For all injury news, you can view all three Falcons injury reports below, including the game designations given (or not given) on Friday.
Wednesday, Nov. 5: Atlanta without two starting linemen as prep for Colts begins
Thursday, Nov. 6: Two starters ruled out, do not travel to Germany
Friday, Nov 7: Two starters receive questionable designations vs. Colts
How did the rest of the league fair in Week 8? Tori McElhaney breaks it down in her weekly power rankings, while she also highlighted the NFC South's performance.
Plus, check out this week's mailbag where Tori answers your burning questions about the state of the Falcons.
Falcons Mailbag: Is Atlanta's playoff window closing?
Finally, this week's Nerdy Birds put the spotlight on xxx
Fan Zone Highlights
Tweets, videos and podcasts you may have missed
In the Nest
Behind-the-scenes stories, locker room insight into team culture
After a two-sack, one-forced-fumble day in New England, rookie edge rusher Jalon Walker was named the NFL's Rookie of the Week. It was Walker's first game back since Week 6, as he had been dealing with a groin injury, and his presence was felt in a big way.
"You see how much he means to the team, just with his impact and his energy," fellow rookie James Pearce Jr. said of Walker. "He made the plays out there (Sunday)."
Walker is the second rookie defender for Atlanta to earn an NFL honor this season.
The Falcons' defense will be up against one of their biggest tests in Berlin, facing the league's best scoring offense and one of the NFL's most dynamic running backs in Jonathan Taylor.
Taylor is averaging 5.7 yards per carry this season and leads all running backs in missed tackles forced. Atlanta's defense knows the task at hand.
"I've gone against him, he's just given me nightmares," Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said. "He's a guy that is so explosive. He's so fast. He has such elite vision. He has contact balance. They can block it for five, and he can make it 25. He's complete in every way. Plus, he's a good receiver out of the backfield. It feels as though this is the first year, I think, that he's really getting the national attention. I think that's probably a byproduct of the team playing so well."
Stopping him and this Colts offense won't be easy, but it will be necessary to see success in Berlin.
"Ultimately, you stop the run with fundamentals and mindset," Ulbrich said. "So, getting off blocks, setting edges. Really good tacklers. Getting off blocks, setting edges, eliminating space, and being really good tacklers, that's going to be the key."
Game Day Intel
Upcoming match previews and predictions
Catch up on any Falcons lineup changes in the Week 10 depth chart.
Who do the experts predict will win on Sunday? Terrin Waack has a comprehensive list in this week's Expert Picks.
Stats and milestones brought to you by StatsPerform:
- Jalon Walker's two-sack game against the Patriots was the first multi-sack game by a rookie this season and the eighth such game by a Falcons rookie since 1982 when sacks became official.
- The Falcons' defense totaled at least six sacks and forced at least two turnovers for the second time this season (at Vikings, at Patriots), the only team with multiple such games this season. It is the first time the Falcons have had multiple such games in a single season since 2003.
- Drake London recorded nine receptions and three receiving touchdowns against the Patriots, one of three players to reach each mark in a game this season (Brock Bowers, Amon-Ra St. Brown) and one of three Falcons to do so in a game all-time (Terance Mathis, Andre Rison).
Meanwhile, the Colts made headlines this week for landing the biggest haul at the trade deadline. Indianapolis packaged together two future first-round picks and wide receiver AD Mitchell to send to the New York Jets in exchange for cornerback Sauce Gardner. Even on a short week, Gardner is expected to play for the Colts this Sunday in Germany.
"It really doesn't change the approach or anything like that," Falcons wide receiver Drake London said Friday about potentially facing Gardner. "Obviously, you respect his game and who he is. But it's the same mentality every game no matter what."
Guten Tag!
As stated from the jump, the Falcons are in Germany for the first-ever, regular-season NFL game in Berlin. After arriving, they held a practice early Friday morning. There, Tori McElhaney and Terrin Waack were your boots on the ground reporting.
Tori explained that while Bijan Robinson may be the gateway for new international fans to latch onto the Falcons, only wins will keep them amongst the ranks.
"We need to share Bijan," Morris said. "Give Bijan the chance to be out here and be around your children, be around your kids, be around your people, be around your families, I think that is outstanding."
Terrin expounded upon this idea, writing about how the Falcons' new locale doesn't change the main objective: They have to win.
"We need to come down here and win," Robinson himself said. "Even when I was back here in May, they were so passionate about this game. It's crazy that it's already here because it feels like that was just yesterday. But for us, as a team, everybody has to know we're going to come out here and give them a show."
