Michael Penix Jr., Drake London to Return from Injuries, Play for Falcons vs. Patriots

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and wide receiver Drake London are on track to play Sunday against the New England Patriots.

Both players were full participants in Friday's practice, and neither was listed on the Falcons' injury report:

Penix was sidelined for the Falcons' 34-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins because of a bone bruise in his knee. Kirk Cousins started in his place and went 21-of-31 for 173 yards.

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London was also out thanks to a hip issue, and that undoubtedly contributed to Cousins' disappointing outing, which looks even worse in the wake of Miami's defensive effort against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson had 209 yards and four touchdowns in a 28-6 victory.

In terms of defending the pass, the Patriots are in the middle of the pack. They rank 19th in yards allowed (224.4 per game) and 18th in opponent QB rating (96.3).

Cousins is a better backup than a lot of teams have in their depth chart, but him starting for a second week may not have inspired a ton of confidence within the fanbase.

With Penix and London leading the aerial attack, the Falcons have a much better chance of taking down New England and getting back to a .500 record.