PFF Give Atlanta Falcons Fans Reasons Be Optimistic

PFF’s Trevor Sikkema and Dalton Wasserman, on their podcast today, detailed reasons why each NFL team should be optimistic about their team heading into the 2025 season.

“For the Atlanta Falcons, you went with Michael Penix Jr, their now second-year quarterback… At the end of last season, what an incredible last three games he had, especially that very last game of the season against the Carolina Panthers. 94.5 passing grade, seven big-time throws, zero turnovers,” Sikemma said. 

Sikemma and Wasserman both believe that Penix is the biggest reason that Falcons fans should be excited about the 2025 season. In the final three games of the season, Penix had nine big-time throws, the second most in the NFL in that span. 

Here is how PFF defines a big-time throw: “A big-time throw is a high-difficulty, high-value pass. They are characterized by excellent ball placement and timing, typically on deeper passes or into tight windows.”

Keep in mind, PFF credited Penix with seven such throws in Week 18 alone.

Another thing Wasserman adds is that Penix may have been able to lead Atlanta to the playoffs last season if he had been given the green light to start earlier. 

“And you do wonder, last year, if they would have gone to him sooner, with the arm talent that he has, you’ve just opened up the entire field, if maybe they would have won the division instead of falling just short,” Wasserman said.  

Wassesrman believes the division is still very open, despite the Tampa Bay Buccaneers winning it for the past four years in a row.

“But they are not that far off from being as good, if not better, than the Bucaneers,” he said.

The Atlanta Falcons swept the Buccaneers in 2024, but still ended up one game behind them at the end of the season. 

Both Sikemma and Wasserman are also fans of the Penix to London connection. Sikemma ranked the duo as a top 10 quarterback-wide receiver duo combination heading into the 2025 season and thinks they are going to be incredibly hard to stop.

Wasserman even took it a step further, thinking that Penix would lead London to super stardom.

“And you talked about that rapport with Drake London. I think Drake London is going to be a superstar this year,” Wasserman said. 

PFF is all in on this Falcons offense and especially Michael Penix and Drake London.

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