When the Falcons signed Darnell Mooney a few offseasons ago, they weren’t just adding another wide receiver to the roster -- they were investing in a field stretcher who could provide balance to their evolving offense.
Week 4 against the 2-1 Washington Commanders presents the perfect opportunity for Mooney to show exactly why he was brought to Atlanta, particularly given the current state of Washington’s secondary.
The Commanders have been hit by injuries on the back end, thinning a unit that was already leaning on young players to step into major roles. And on top of battling the injury bug, Washington has seen Marshon Lattimore struggle week after week against any capable offense, leaving rookie Trey Amos (who also battled injury this week) and second-year man Mike Sainristil to step into larger roles.
That’s a dangerous situation against this passing game, especially one with a chip on it's shoulder after a 30-0 drubbing by Carolina last week. He missed all of training camp and Week 1 due to injury, but this afternoon could be his return to form.
Darnell Mooney is due for an eruption in Week 4 agianst Washington
For Mooney, his game has always been defined by his speed and suddenness. During his time in Chicago, he showed he could separate quickly at the top of his routes, track the deep ball with precision, and take the top off a defense.
What makes his presence in Atlanta so critical is how naturally his skill set pairs with Michael Penix Jr’s willingness to attack defenses vertically. Penix thrives on rhythm throws and big-play opportunities, and Mooney’s ability to uncover quickly and force safeties to turn and run adds a dimension that puts immense stress on defenses.
Against Washington, that dimension could become the tipping point.
With several of their key contributors entering the game with asterisks next to their name, whether for lack of performance or injury, the Commanders will have to rely on youth, along with veterans playing out of position -- which potentially includes recent signee Darnell Savage, former safety turned nickel Tyler Owens, and All-Pro special teamer turned safety Jeremy Reaves.
That opens the door for Atlanta to exploit mismatches, and Mooney is exactly the type of receiver who can turn a one-on-one into a back-breaking explosive play. Even if he isn’t the primary target on every snap, his speed alone changes coverages, and could open the offense up for Drake London, Bijan Robinson, or Kyle Pitts.
Washington’s safeties will have to respect his vertical ability, which in turn opens intermediate windows for London and creates space underneath for Robinson (at least five targets in each of his first three games) as a pass-catcher. But besides Robinson, all of the pass-catchers have started slow.
Mooney doesn’t need 10 catches to influence a game. Two or three well-timed deep connections with Penix could completely shift the momentum. In a matchup where Washington’s defense will already be stretched thin, that kind of impact could be decisive.