Falcons Named Most Likely Team to End Playoff Drought in 2025
There’s no worse place to be in today’s NFL than right in the middle of the pack. Unfortunately, the Falcons have been mired in mediocrity recently.
Atlanta has won exactly 7 games in 5 of the last 7 seasons with no playoff appearances since 2017. That included a stretch of 3 straight seasons at 7-10 from 2021-2023. Their starting quarterbacks during those seasons weren’t exactly what you would call a ‘murderers’ row’ of passing talent. The list included 36-year-old Matt Ryan, Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.
But, now that Michael Penix Jr. has cleared up any potential Falcons QB controversy, Garrett Podell of CBS Sports ranked Atlanta as the team most likely to end their playoff drought in 2025.
Falcons Beat Out Bears for No. 1 Spot Among Teams with Longest Playoff Droughts
While Chicago has rightfully been discussed as the most-improved team, Atlanta took the top spot in Podell’s rankings this Monday. Podell thinks the Falcons are ready for “a big leap forward” with Michael Penix Jr. in place of Kirk Cousins.
Falcons OC Zac Robinson spent 2024 building an offense “designed to cover up Cousins’ inability to move around,” Podell wrote. “He was unable to fully step into throws and was heavily limited when moving around in the pocket, which led to Cousins co-leading the NFL with 16 interceptions.”
Podell noted that Cousins’ lack of mobility relegated the Falcons to the lowest play-action pass rate (7.6%) in the league. Penix’s mobility will enable Robinson to open up the playbook and “re-introduce the play-action pass in all shapes and sizes.”
More play-action passes “should further showcase the talents” of their top offensive playmakers: Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
On defense, Atlanta prioritized improving the pass rush. They brought in veteran edge rusher Leonard Floyd and spent significant draft capital on two rookie edge rushers.
“Those defensive additions in tandem with a more versatile offense with Penix could lift the Falcons to a higher level,” Podell wrote. “That could power Atlanta back to the postseason out of an NFC South division that always feels up for grabs.”
Michael Penix Jr.’s Development Named ‘X-Factor’ in NFC South Race
While the Falcons appear primed to break free from mediocrity in 2025, that hope rests on the shoulders of a 2nd-year quarterback with 3 career starts. Most teams don’t have the opportunity to ease their young quarterbacks into playing time, and the Falcons were no exception.
While the Falcons’ quarterback timeline made sense initially, Cousins’ performance in Weeks 10-14 sent it up in flames. Cousins and Atlanta had been cruising through the first 9 weeks, sitting at 6-3 with a 2-game lead over the Bucs for 1st in the division.
But, he and the Falcons collapsed down the stretch. Cousins threw 0 touchdowns and 8 interceptions during a 4-game losing streak. After signing a 4-year, $180 million contract in March 2025, he lasted just 14 games as the starter.
Atlanta decided to see what they had in Michael Penix Jr. in Week 16. He showed signs of improvement in each of the final 3 games, as the Falcons offense averaged 32 points per game.
Granted, it was a limited sample, which included games against the 2-13 Giants and 5-11 Panthers. But, his arm strength provided the offense with an extra element, as “defenders had to respect his ability to throw downfield more than they did with Cousins,” according to Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton.
Moton named Penix as the “X-factor” in the NFC South division race, writing that “his progress in Year 2 could help Atlanta break its four-year pattern of seven-to-eight-win seasons to compete for an NFC South title.”
“Going through a full offseason as the starter, the Washington product should be more efficient in the pocket,” Moton wrote. “He will have a stronger rapport with his receivers and a better understanding of the offense.”
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