Falcons 2025 NFL Schedule Released for Michael Penix Jr., Kirk Cousins' 2nd Season

Will this be the year the Atlanta Falcons end a seven-year playoff drought?

The team enters the 2025 campaign with plenty of optimism in that regard. Michael Penix Jr. impressed after taking over for Kirk Cousins last season, while Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Bijan Robinson give him a strong supporting cast.

On the defensive side of the ball, the team addressed a huge need off the edge, drafting a pair of pass-rushers in James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker.

Analysis

The Falcons have a very manageable schedule this season, with just six games against playoff teams from a season ago (Tampa Bay Buccaneers twice, Los Angeles Rams, Buffalo Bills, Washington Commanders, Minnesota Vikings), and four of those games at home.

Granted, some of their opponents should be improved next season. The San Francisco 49ers faced some significant offseason changes but still have a lot of talent on the roster and are a threat if healthy. Ditto for the Miami Dolphins. The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals should provide tough matchups, though the Falcons have more talent on paper. And the Carolina Panthers and young quarterback Bryce Young took strides last season.

But there are some very favorable on the schedule. The New Orleans Saints are a mess, while the New England Patriots are in the early stages of a rebuild and the retooling New York Jets and Indianapolis Colts remain question marks based on their quarterback situations.

The Falcons have the talent to finish with double-digit wins against this sort of schedule. Whether they pull it off is another matter entirely.

Key Matchups

The NFC South very well could come down to the two games between the Falcons and Bucs. It was a matchup that favored the Falcons last season, as they swept the season series, albeit with both games decided by a single possession.

The Falcons were in control of the division a year ago, starting 6-3, before Kirk Cousins went into absolute meltdown mode, throwing just one touchdown to nine interceptions in his next five games. The Falcons went 1-4 in those contests, Cousins was benched and the Falcons went 1-2 with Penix under center, losing the final two games of the season in overtime (though the young quarterback led the offense to 62 points in those contests).

What might have happened had the Falcons made the switch to Penix earlier?

Before Cousins' meltdown, they were 4-0 against the division. This season, the division appears to be ripe for the taking yet again. The Falcons have to handle business against the Saints and Panthers and at least split the series against the Bucs. If they do that, they'll be in a great position to end that playoff drought.