Falcons at Cardinals
Kickoff: 4:05 p.m., State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
TV: Fox 5
Records: Falcons 5-9; Cardinals 3-11
Line: Falcons -3
Outlook: This is one of the few games on the NFL schedule that has no impact on playoff seeding but it includes a team that’s vying for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The Falcons (5-9) are playing for pride and possibly for head coach Raheem Morris to keep his job next season.
The Falcons defense held Arizona to a field goal, after giving up a 17-yard catch on third down early in the drive. But Divine Deablo broke up a third-down play and the Cardinals had to settle for a 50-yard field goal.
The Falcons gave up 10 yards on a pair of runs and the big catch, but they were otherwise solid, with Jacoby Brissett getting two incompletions.
The Falcons' inactives include cornerback Mike Hughes, running back Nathan Carter, linebacker JD Bertrand, offensive tackle Michael Jerrell, wide receiver Casey Washington, defensive tackle Elijah Garcia and wide receiver Malik Heath.
The Cardinals' inactives are cornerback Max Melton, cornerback Elijah Jones, safety Jalen Thompson, offensive lineman Evan Brown and offensive lineman Paris Johnson Jr.
Glendale, Ariz. — Falcons safety Jessie Bates III needs one interception to become the fourth defensive back since 2000 with at least three interceptions in seven of his first eight career seasons, joining DeAngelo Hall, Terence Newman and Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed.
Glendale, Ariz. — Falcons running back Bijan Robinson, who is a native of Tucson, needs 143 yards from scrimmage to become the third Falcons running back to surpass 2,000 yards in a season.
Robinson ranks first in the NFL with 1,858 scrimmage yards this season and leads the league with 5,208 scrimmage yards since 2023.
If he gets 143, he would join Jamal Anderson (2,165 scrimmage yards, 1998) and William Andrews (2,036, 1981) and (2,176 in 1983) in the Falcons’ exclusive club.
With 90 scrimmage yards Robinson, who is 23 years old, can surpass Pro Football Hall of Famer Edgerrin James (5,297) for the fourth-most scrimmage yards by a player under the age of 24 in NFL history.
Only Christian McCaffrey (5,443 scrimmage yards), Pro Football Hall of Famer Barry Sanders and (5,391) and Clinton Portis (5,327) have more.
Glendale, Ariz. — Falcons WR Malik Heath is returning to Atlanta due to a personal matter and has been designated as out on the game status report.
The Falcons are 5-9 and out of playoff contention. Because of their draft-night trade, they're not in contention for the No. 1 draft pick either — so for another season, they're in purgatory of not being good enough for the playoffs but not being in position to get a top draft pick.
There's more at stake in these last three games for the Falcons. It's not just the future of head coach Raheem Morris, but also figuring out which are the main pieces for the long term. There's plenty of optimism in the uptick in Kyle Pitts' production, but is it sustainable for the future?
Can the Falcons' offense find ways to utilize Bijan Robinson more efficiently, without just going through the routine of running him on first and second downs and putting themselves in tough spots?
Can they clean up special teams? The issues aren't just with Jamal Agnew, who was released this week, but in the coverage and return games overall. What about kicker Zane Gonzalez? Can he be a long-term answer at a spot that's been a revolving door over the past few seasons?
Pregame reading
- Trips to the Valley of the Sun have not resulted in many wins for Falcons
- Falcons’ Drake London ‘is playing’ after missing four games with injury
- QB corner: Falcons’ Kirk Cousins discusses the Cardinals defense
- Falcons cut veteran returner Jamal Agnew
- Can Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts keep playing at a high level?
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