Falcons Clips
The Falcons will be short one member of the coaching staff for Thursday night’s game against the Buccaneers.
The team announced that running backs coach Michael Pitre will not be with the team. Pitre’s absence is due to a personal matter.
Offensive assistants K.J. Black and Patrick Kramer will take over Pitre’s responsibilities on Thursday. Black has been on the staff since 2024 while Kramer has been with the team since 2021.
Pitre has been the team’s running backs coach since 2022. He was previously a running backs coach with the Bears and on the collegiate level. The Falcons are 12th in the league with 123.6 rushing yards per game.
Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins will start his fourth straight game on Thursday night, against a familiar foe in Tampa.
Last year, Cousins had two excellent showings against the Buccaneers, engineering victories in each contest.
On a Thursday night in Atlanta, Cousins set a franchise record with 509 passing yards, four touchdowns, and one interception in a 36-30 overtime win. In the rematch, Cousins threw for 276 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-26 win.
This time around, the Falcons are decidedly in the role of spoiler. They’ve been eliminated from postseason contention, and they’ve lost seven of eight. Their only opportunity is to drop the Buccaneers to 7-7.
For Cousins, who likely will be released after the season (then again, who knows?), it’s an opportunity to lay the foundation for an opportunity in 2026 before a prime-time audience.
The NFL announced that there will be a game in Munich during the 2026 season on Wednesday and the Falcons could potentially be involved in it.
The Falcons announced that the league has informed them that they will be the designated home team for an international game next season. In addition to Munich, the league has announced that there will be games in Melbourne, Australia — the Rams have been designated as the home team for that game — and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as well as two games in London. More games are expected to be added to that slate.
Next year’s schedule calls for the Falcons to have nine home games, but Wednesday’s news means the number held in Atlanta will drop to eight.
The Falcons have played three games in London and they played in Munich this season.
The Buccaneers offense is set to get a couple of shots in the arm for Thursday night’s game against the Falcons.
They announced that wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan have been activated from injured reserve. Evans has been out since breaking his collarbone in Week 7 and McMillan has missed the whole year with a neck injury.
Evans and McMillan were both listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report, but it’s unlikely that the Bucs would have activated either wideout if they thought they were going to miss the matchup with Atlanta. Official word on their inactive list will come 90 minutes ahead of kickoff on Thursday.
Assuming they are active, it will be the first time that Evans, McMillan and Chris Godwin are all in the lineup since Week 7 of the 2024 season.
The return of the receivers should provide a needed boost to a team that has only scored 47 points over the course of their current three-game losing streak. They enter Week 15 tied with the Panthers atop the NFC South and play Carolina twice in the final three weeks of the season.
Defensive lineman C.J. Brewer and wide receiver Ryan Miller were waived in corresponding moves.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles noted earlier on Wednesday that Mike Evans has shown what he’s needed to in practice as the receiver returns from a fractured collarbone.
But it’s still not completely certain that Evans will suit up for Thursday’s matchup against the Falcons.
Tampa Bay has listed Evans as questionable for the contest.
Evans has been limited on all three practice reports this week.
In his 12th pro season, Evans has not played since the Oct. 20 loss to Detroit. He’s caught 14 passes for 140 yards with a touchdown so far in 2025.
Receiver Jalen McMillan (neck) is also questionable for Thursday after being listed as limited all three days this week.
Tight end Cade Otton (knee) and safety Tykee Smith (neck/shoulder) are both doubtful to play.
Linebacker SirVocea Dennis (hip) and safety Rashad Wisdom (quad) have been ruled out.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield (left shoulder) was listed as a full participant for all three injury reports and is set to play.
Receiver Chris Godwin Jr. (fibula), running back Bucky Irving (shoulder), safety Christian Izien (neck), cornerback Benjamin Morrison (hamstring), outside linebacker Haason Reddick (ankle), and offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs (oblique) are all off the injury report and are set to play.
The Falcons will still be without their top receiver this week.
Atlanta has ruled Drake London out for Thursday night’s game against the Buccaneers.
Sidelined by a knee injury, London has not played since Atlanta’s Nov. 16 overtime loss to Carolina. In nine games this season, London has caught 60 passes for 810 yards with six touchdowns.
London was listed as a non-participant on all three injury reports this week.
The Falcons also have four players listed as questionable for the game: tight end Kyle Pitts (knee), edge rusher Jaylon Walker (quad), defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus (groin), and defensive lineman David Onyemata (foot).
While cornerback A.J. Terrell has been dealing with a neck injury, he did not receive a game designation and is expected to play tomorrow night.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles didn’t say wide receiver Mike Evans will definitely be playing against the Falcons on Thursday night, but it sounds like there’s a good chance that the veteran will be back in the lineup.
Evans returned to practice for the first time since breaking his collarbone in Week 7 and he continued to work this week, which led to Bowles being asked if he’s shown the team everything they need to see in order for him to play in a game. Bowles said that Evans has done that and extended the positive comments to Jalen McMillan, who has missed the whole season with a neck injury.
“They looked good,” Bowles said, via the team’s website. “They looked fresh. I mean, they ran great routes and looked like they never left. Obviously, they haven’t been hit or anything yet, but they looked good in practice.”
Left tackle Tristan Wirfs could also return after missing last Sunday with an oblique injury. Bowles said that linebacker SirVocea Dennis (hip) and safety Rashad Wisdom (quad) have been ruled out. Tight end Cade Otton (knee) and safety Tykee Smith (neck, shoulder) are going to be listed as doubtful.
Falcons wide receiver Drake London has missed the past three games with a knee injury, and it doesn’t appear he will return this week.
London remained listed as out of practice on Tuesday’s estimated injury report.
The team’s report remained the same from Monday.
London was the only player the Falcons estimated as a non-participant ahead of Thursday’s game against the Buccaneers. Wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge (shoulder), tight end Kyle Pitts (knee), edge rusher Jalon Walker (quad), cornerback A.J. Terrell (neck), defensive end Brandon Dorlus (groin), right guard Chris Lindstrom (foot) and defensive lineman David Onyemata (foot) were listed as limited. Linebacker Kaden Elliss (elbow) was listed as a full participant.
Drake London missed his second straight game with a knee injury on Sunday and the Falcons moved to add another wideout to the roster on Monday.
They announced that they have claimed Malik Heath off of waivers. Heath had six receptions for 86 yards in 11 appearances for the Packers this season, and he had 25 catches for 222 yards and three touchdowns over his first two seasons.
Safety Jordan Fuller was released to clear a roster spot for Heath.
London was the only player the Falcons estimated as a non-participant ahead of Thursday’s game against the Buccaneers. Wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge (shoulder), tight end Kyle Pitts (knee), edge rusher Jalon Walker (quad), cornerback A.J. Terrell (neck), defensive end Brandon Dorlus (groin), right guard Chris Lindstrom (foot), and defensive lineman David Onyemata (foot) were listed as limited. Linebacker Kaden Elliss (elbow) was listed as a full participant.
Buccaneers left guard Ben Bredeson would not have taken part in practice on Monday due to the knee injury he suffered against the Saints on Sunday.
Head coach Todd Bowles said at his Monday press conference that Bredeson was getting more tests on his knee and the team would wait for those results before determining his availability for Thursday night’s game against the Falcons. A short week would seem to make the odds of Bredeson playing longer than the alternative.
The Bucs also said that tight end Cade Otton (knee), linebacker SirVocea Dennis (hip), defensive back Christian Izien (neck), edge rusher Haason Reddick (ankle), and safety Tykee Smith (neck, shoulder) would have been out on Monday. The team only held a walkthrough a day after their 24-20 loss to New Orleans.
Wide receiver Mike Evans (collarbone), left tackle Tristan Wirfs (oblique), and wide receiver Jalen McMillan (neck) were listed as limited participants. Bowles said earlier in the day that all three are “in play” to return on Thursday.
Wide receiver Chris Godwin (fibula) was also listed as limited while running back Bucky Irving (shoulder), quarterback Baker Mayfield (left shoulder), cornerback Benjamin Morrison (hamstring), and safety Rashad Wisdom (quad) would have been full participants.
