Atlanta Falcons @ Arizona Cardinals
Sunday, December 21st, 4:05 PM ET
Both Arizona and Atlanta are eliminated from playoff contention, so both teams are surely wanting to just get to the offseason so they can begin fixing their issues. The Falcons were 3-2 at one point, and the arrow was pointing up in a crucial 2025 season.
They have since bottomed out, and Michael Penix Jr has been out with a knee injury, so the injury-prone factor has unfortunately followed him into the NFL. The Falcons, on paper, can be a great team, but the coaching has really been the primary issue for the Falcons.
Raheem Morris is probably not getting the 2026 season, as I believe the Falcons could totally clean house, including GM Terry Fontenot. For the long-term, Atlanta has to decide whether Penix is going to be their guy or not, and also decide on the long-term futures on key young players like Drake London and BIjan Robinson.
With Atlanta not having a first-round pick in 2026, I could see one of those high-end players being traded. The Cardinals have been worse. They have gone 1-11 after an encouraging 2-0 start. Kyler Murray is likely to be cut or traded this coming offseason as well, so the Cardinals are set to undergo some major change.
Right now, I believe the Falcons have the advantage here, as backup QB Kirk Cousins has played reasonably well, and there is a chance that, with a strong finish, Raheem Morris could be brought back for 2026.
The Falcons have a better roster than the Cardinals, and the forgettable 2025 season continues for Arizona. Both teams expected a lot more this year, but it just has not gone that way. Give me the Falcons in a relatively boring game in Week 16.