Falcons, Kirk Cousins prepare for 'challenging' Seahawks defense

Raheem Morris and Mike Macdonald were hired by their respective franchises within a week of each other in the head coaching cycle in January 2024.

Since then, the Falcons and Seattle Seahawks have taken vastly different paths to Sunday's meeting in Atlanta.

Morris' Falcons (4-8) have dropped six of their past seven games and are closing in on their eighth straight season of missing the playoffs. Atlanta is 6-14 in its past 20 games, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. is out for the season with a partially torn ACL and the team is coming off a 27-24 loss to the lowly New York Jets.

The road only gets tougher for the Falcons, who face the NFL's second-best run defense (88.8 yards allowed per game) and third-best scoring defense (18.1 points per game) in Seattle.

"They are challenging on almost every single level," Morris said of the Seahawks defense. "They're playing with a lot of confidence up front and across the board. They will be a really good challenge for our football team."

Since Penix's injury on Nov. 16, Kirk Cousins has thrown for 433 total yards, three touchdowns and an interception in starts against the New Orleans Saints and Jets.

As the franchise nears an offseason full of question marks, Morris wants to see Cousins finish strong over the final five games.

"Obviously winning would be No. 1," Morris said. "I think he's gone out the last two weeks and operated at a very high level. Not turning the football over, keeping our offense moving, being able to create down the field with our passing game. I think Kirk's done a nice job of stepping in and taking over that leadership role."

Seattle (9-3), meanwhile, has gone 19-10 since hiring Macdonald prior to the 2024 season and currently sits tied with the Los Angeles Rams atop the competitive NFC West. The San Francisco 49ers are a half-game behind at 9-4.

The Seahawks have won six of their past seven games and are coming off a 26-0 romp over the Minnesota Vikings -- their first shutout since September 2015.

Hoping to avoid a trap game with his team a road favorite in Atlanta, Macdonald isn't worried about winning the division quite yet.

"All right, whatever. Let's go beat Atlanta," Macdonald said. "You've got to look at each team independently to understand how they operate. ... (Atlanta's defense) does a really good job. They're an aggressive unit. They play hard and do a really good job of affecting the quarterback."

Sam Darnold threw for a season-low 128 yards last time out and the Seahawks totaled just 219 yards. Seattle held Minnesota to 162 yards, sacking and intercepting Max Brosmer four times each.

"To be able to play with a defense like this is unbelievable," Darnold said. "I don't take it for granted for one day."

Seattle had a significant injury update on Wednesday, as the team designated safety Julian Love, defensive tackle Jarran Reed and receiver Dareke Young to return from the injured reserve.

Love, a former Pro Bowl selection, hasn't played since Sept. 25, when he suffered a hamstring injury. Macdonald wasn't ready to commit to Love's return for the elite Seattle defense.

"We have a plan for him this week in terms of how he practices," Macdonald said. "We feel great about where he's at. If everything goes perfectly to plan, when you've been out that long, you've got to have a ramp-up time back into it."

For Atlanta, leading receiver Drake London (knee) was a non-participant in practice on Wednesday and is at risk of missing his third straight game. Defensive linemen Brandon Dorlus (groin) and David Onyemata (foot) also didn't participate in practice.