Six Questions for Atlanta Falcons and Patriots in Week 9

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga – The 3-4 Atlanta Falcons are facing a critical game on Sunday as they look to avoid a three-game losing streak. If they want to reach the postseason in 2025, then they have to come out of Week 9 with a win.

Standing in their way is a red-hot New England Patriots squad that has won each of its last five games. How can the Falcons go to Foxborough and get a win? Check out the biggest questions facing both of these teams heading into Sunday’s game.

CAN THE FALCONS GET THEIR RUSHING ATTACK ROLLING?

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Raheem Morris called their running game the lifeblood of this football team, and he certainly has a point. As evidenced by last week’s 24-point drubbing by the Dolphins, when the Falcons fail to reach 100 yards on the ground, they are 0-3 this season.

The Falcons’ head coach challenged his unit to be at its best, but that has to start this Sunday against a stout Patriots defense.

New England is allowing just 18.3 points per game (fourth in the NFL), in large part because they have featured a run defense that allows just 76 yards on the ground per game (second in the NFL). In fact, they only allow their opponent’s lead running back to average a dismal 37.1 rushing yards per game, with none of them surpassing 50 yards in a single game.

“We know we'll be in for a great challenge,” Zac Robinson said. “Our guys will be fired up, like I said, ready to roll. But they just play very fundamentally sound. They don't get beat, and so we know we're going to have to out-execute them. It's going to be an execution game because they're not showing too many different looks, different than some of the teams we’ve played.”

If they want to have a chance to upset the Patriots in Week 9, it will likely start with their ability to generate a rushing attack and get Bijan Robinson back up and running. His back-to-back quiet games have mirrored the offense’s overall inconsistency, a worrying trend for a team built around his explosiveness.

CAN JD BERTRAND STEP UP IN DIVINE DEABLO’S ABSENCE?

Atlanta Falcons linebacker JD Bertrand | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

When the Falcons lost linebacker Divine Deablo to a forearm fracture against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7, they knew it was going to be difficult to replace him. The offseason addition has been one of the most important facets of this defense in 2025.

Second-year linebacker JD Bertrand is the primary replacement for Deablo, but he has struggled to make a positive impact. Too often, he looked like he was a step slow, and the Dolphins went after him.

“It wasn't good enough from an overall standpoint,” head coach Raheem Morris said Monday. “He's got big shoes to fill. He went out there, he tried to do those things, did a nice job on a couple of those plays, and obviously, there's some plays that he obviously went back.”

The Falcons also elevated Ronnie Harrison, and he was able to get some looks in there as well against the Dolphins. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said it would be a “by-committee” approach again this week.

“Ronnie Harrison played a little bit in that position,” Ulbrich explained. “We rolled the safety down to that position at times. Divine is a hard guy to replace, just because his skill set is so unique. His athleticism is so unique, and the way we used him was so unique. The fact that we put him in a position that normally DBs only can handle. So, we'll do the same thing this game.”

Facing off against a dynamic quarterback like Drake Maye presents the Falcons’ second level with another difficult test. If it is Bertrand again, he will need to be up for the challenge.

HOW HEALTHY ARE THE FALCONS?

Atlanta Falcons defensive end Zach Harrison | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Falcons will enter Sunday’s game with a much better bill of health than they did in Week 8, but it will still be something to keep an eye on – particularly on defense.

Divine Deablo (forearm) remains on the injured reserve, Billy Bowman Jr. (hamstring) will miss his fourth-straight game, and Zach Harrison (knee) will miss his second-straight game, while Jessie Bates III (knee), Jalon Walker (groin), and Leonard Floyd (hamstring) are all questionable.

With a streaking Patriots offense scoring 26.6 points per game set to face off against this unit, they will need as many of these players to be featured as they can get.

The offense got a much better hand coming into this weekend. They are set to return Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London, who were both removed from the injury report.

CAN THE FALCONS GENERATE PRESSURE ON DRAKE MAYE?

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye | Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Speaking of Drake Maye, the Falcons will have to get pressure on the second-year quarterback on Sunday. Maye has been as efficient as he has been effective for the Patriots this season.

He is completing 75.2% of his passes for 2,026 yards, 15 touchdowns, and three interceptions. In terms of estimated points added per pass (EPA/pass), the Patriots are third in the NFL (+0.26).

But, for as prolific as he has been, the Patriots have been allowing lots of pressure on him. He has been sacked 28 times this season. Only the Jets and Titans have given up more. Their team sack rate allowed is 11% (fourth-lowest mark in the NFL).

With a pass defense that still tops the NFL and a much-improved pass rush, the Falcons could potentially flip this game if they were able to get pressure on the young quarterback.

WILL THE FALCONS WIN THE TURNOVER MARGIN?

Atlanta Falcons linebacker Deangelo Malone after his game-winning interception | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

One hidden factor in whether the Falcons have been able to win or lose in the Raheem Morris era comes back to their ability to win the turnover margin.

When they WIN the turnover margin – 8-0
When they TIE the turnover margin – 2-4
When they LOSE the turnover margin – 1-9

The Patriots have been very effective at forcing takeaways from their opponents. Only Tampa Bay, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, and Chicago have more than their 11 turnovers. On the other hand, they have been a little more giving on the other side.

They have thrown just three interceptions, but they have lost fumbles another six times this season. The Falcons will need to get some takeaways on Sunday.

CAN ZAC ROBINSON GET THE SKILL PLAYERS GOING?

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Falcons’ offense has been under a great deal of pressure this week after another performance that was below their standard. The struggles along the offensive line, as mentioned earlier, have been a primary reason for their issues, but a lack of playmaking threat out wide has not helped them much either.

“We've just got to get all of us going on the same page at the same time and be ready to play the right way,” Raheem Morris said. “This offense is fun when they get going. You get these guys going. You get Bijan [Robinson] going. You get Drake [London] going. You get Kyle [Pitts] going. You get all these guys, [Darnell] Mooney in particular, some of those guys coming back. Offensive line, come off the ball a little. Those are the things you want, and we'll get those things going pretty quickly here.”

Fortunately for the Falcons, both London and Mooney will enter a game with a clean bill of health. Injuries have plagued them both this season, and the offense has fallen off with them.

London, who missed last Sunday's game with a hip injury, has had an up-and-down season thus far. He has a pair of 100+ yard games, but four others that have been below 55 yards. Mooney, who has struggled all season with various injuries, has just 11 catches for 158 yards this season.

The Falcons have been one of the league’s worst units at beating man coverages this season, and if they are going to change that narrative, then it all starts with those two at wide receiver.