When the Atlanta Falcons were given four primetime games on their initial 2024 schedule, few batted an eye.
Spearheaded by first-year head coach Raheem Morris and shiny quarterback signing Kirk Cousins, the Falcons had considerable national intrigue. They validated it for the first half of the season, starting 6-3 and leading the NFC South by two games, before losing four consecutive contests.
Atlanta later earned a fifth primetime game in Week 17 against the Washington Commanders -- a game that may have generated substantial faith from the NFL in 2025.
The Falcons lost to the Commanders in then-rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.'s second career start, but Penix threw his first career touchdown pass to tie the game with less than two minutes remaining.
Atlanta finished 8-9 in 2024 and missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season -- yet the NFL, perhaps surprisingly, has committed to giving the Falcons substantial time in the national spotlight.
In 2025, Atlanta will play five primetime games. It faces the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Week 15) on Thursday Night Football, the Minnesota Vikings (Week 2) and San Francisco 49ers (Week 7) on Sunday Night Football and the Buffalo Bills (Week 6) and Los Angeles Rams (Week 17) on Monday Night Football.
And Penix's glimpse of potential against the Commanders last year is a central reason why.
"They played well in a national spotlight late in the season of that game in Washington. That one was a thriller there with Michael Penix performing extremely well," NFL Network's Mike Garafolo said on The Insiders Podcast. "So certainly, that's part of the equation there."
ESPN insider Adam Schefter reached a similar conclusion, noting the NFL's belief in the Falcons taking a step forward.
"The National Football League is saying, 'Bring on Michael Penix and what he could do,'" Schefter said on The Adam Schefter Podcast. "And if you remember the prime-time game they played last year to end the season against the Washington Commanders right near the end. ...
"Penix to Drake London, Penix to Darnell Mooney, Penix to Bijan Robbinson. It was fun to watch. The league is in for more."
NFL Network's Marc Ross, who won Super Bowls across 11 years in the New York Giants' front office, admitted he was surprised Atlanta received five primetime games.
"I don't know if it was just a quirk because of the opponents they're playing," Ross said on The Insiders. "Or if the league intentionally thinks, well, maybe Michael Penix is going to light it up and be an MVP type candidate and have a resurgence with the Dirty Birds down there.
"So that definitely jumped out at me as saying, 'How in the world did the Falcons do this?' Could they take a big step with the year No. 2 there? With Michael Penix developing, we will see. But they'll definitely have a lot of exposure to see if they can get it done."
Four of the Falcons' primetime opponents -- all but the 49ers -- made the playoffs last season. Atlanta will try to reach similar heights in 2025, and it'll get no shortage of outside attention in the process.
