Atlanta Falcons Face Daunting Schedule According to NFL.com's Nick Shook

If the Atlanta Falcons were playing a round of golf, the chances of getting a "gimmie" handed to them by any one of their opponents would indeed be slim to none.

Such is the immediate strength of the Falcons 2025 schedule - that we find NFL.com analyst Nick Shook declaring that the pressure applied to Michael Penix Jr. is going to be intense and immediate as he replaces Kirk Cousins under center for good.

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As part of his three-biggest takeaways for each team in the NFC South, Shook points out that the Falcons will be on the national stage quite often, and their schedule is much more difficult than it has been in the recent past.

“For a second straight season, the Falcons will be featured in five prime-time games, including in Weeks 15 and 17, right in the thick of the playoff push,” wrote Shook. “The team's schedule is loaded with marquee matchups, starting with a Week 1 game against the rival Buccaneers.”

Of course, getting the somewhat surprising national shine is a nod to the bona-fide dynamic playmakers like running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London which Atlanta has at their disposal.

Atlanta will have a different Week 1 quarterback for the fifth-straight season, and like last year, the early season slate is daunting. Unlike recent seasons, the Falcons are hoping they have the same starting quarterback for the next decade.

“The Falcons will face three 2024 playoff teams in the first four weeks, including a division rival (Buccaneers) and last season’s NFC runner-up (Commanders),” wrote Shook.

“If Michael Penix Jr. and Atlanta are going to deliver on expectations in a pivotal season, they'll have to prove their worth against quality competition from the jump. The going doesn't get any easier after the first month, either: the Bills come to town in Week 6 and a trip to San Francisco immediately follows that contest.”

A note from NFL research reminded us that it was the second-straight season that the Falcons would start their first-five games against four playoff opponents. The Falcons went 3-2 in that stretch including a win in Philadelphia in 2024.

Just how successfully Penix goes head-to-head with the Bucs Baker Mayfield and the Washington Commanders superstar signal caller Jayden Daniels over the first four weeks of the campaign will provide a real acid test.

Furthermore, when Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills and then San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy do battle with Penix over weeks 6 and 7, it will provide compelling evidence about whether the Falcons are flying high or heading for another losing season.

Heading into that brutal double header, perhaps the timing of the very early Week 5 bye might just let Penix and Co. circle the wagons prior to facing the current NFL MVP Alllen in particular.

On the flip side, however, it undoubtedly makes for an extremely hard grind through the remainder of the 17-game slate.

“An early bye (Week 5) sets up for quite a grind from mid-October to the end of the season,” wrote Shook as his third takeaway. “Included in that stretch is a trip to Berlin for a game against the Colts and a quick return trip to host the Panthers before playing four road games over the following five weeks. They'll return home for a prime-time date with the Rams in Week 17, which could carry plenty of playoff implications. There’s a daunting path to get there, though.”

The Colts and Falcons each have international marketing rights in Germany, but it seems like each of Atlanta’s easiest opponents (on paper) are on the road. In this case – way on the road.

The Falcons have all of a sudden become a young and exciting team. Five straight years of drafting in the top-15 should do that for a team. But they’re largely an unproven group with a lot of questions.

The 2025 season rests on the left arm of Penix and a youthfully rebuilt Falcons defense.

Therefore, we can fully expect to see the Falcons land in some tricky sand traps along the way, it's going to be how they get up and down which will provide the rub for making a real push for a playoff spot.