The Atlanta Falcons went into Sunday near the bottom of the league in number of drops this season. From Drake London to Bijan Robinson, it had not been a problem plaguing this offense.
However, that was not the case against the New York Giants. Of the nine incompletions, six of them were drops, by my count.
That might be surprising but when you consider the sudden switch from the right-handed Kirk Cousins to the left-handed Michael Penix Jr., it isn't. The change in the direction and velocity of the ball messed the receivers up throughout the game but it will only get better from here.
Falcons Week 16 drops will fix themself with more time
Darnell Mooney said this past week that had hadn't caught a single pass from Michael Penix Jr. It was shocking to hear that but backs up the incredible faith the coaching staff had in Kirk Cousins.
I bring that up because it explains why the team had such trouble holding onto the ball; they weren't used to the ball's spin and velocity at all. While it doesn't excuse it, it tells us things will only get better with more reps catching Michael Penix Jr.'s throws.
I do have to clarify that drops can be objective. I categorized six of Penix's nine incompletions as drops. Some may say it was a couple less but you can't argue anything lower than four. I expect Mooney to catch the low pass the off-balanced Penix threw and London to catch the contested fade ball in the endzone.
Nevertheless, the drops won't be as rampant Sunday night against the Commanders. They have proven to be sure-handed all season and that will continue with more reps in practice.