Atlanta Falcons Nominate Chris Lindstrom For Walter Payton Man of the 12 months Award – NFL Tracker

DEC 11 LAMAR SLATED TO RETURN VS. FALCONS Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is on the sidelines today nursing a knee injury that could keep him out for multiple weeks.

According to ESPN, Jackson’s “most realistic” date to return is Week 16 on Christmas Eve against the Atlanta Falcons. However, there is also a “strong chance” that Jackson won’t be 100 percent for that matchup and his return is likely predicted on the fact that the Ravens need to win some games to remain in the AFC playoff picture.

DEC 6 LINDSTROM NAMED WPMOY NOMINEE All 32 teams named one player to be nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. This season, that honor for Atlanta belongs to offensive lineman Chris Lindstrom.

Lindstrom, 25, had his fifth-year rookie option exercised this past offseason, making him a free agent after the 2023 season.

DEC5 BRADY, BUCS WIN MNF Despite trailing by 13 points with three minutes to go, Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the New Orleans Saints 17-16 on Monday Night Football.

The win pushes the Bucs to a 6-6 record, putting them 1.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Falcons at 5-8.

The Falcons are on a bye next week while the Bucs play the San Francisco 49ers.

DEC 5 BAKER CUT BY PANTHERS The Carolina Panthers are saying goodbye to quarterback Baker Mayfield after they anticipate waiving him Monday. NFL Network was the first to report the news.

Mayfield was traded to the Panthers by the Cleveland Browns in the offseason for a fifth-round pick, but struggled as Carolina’s starter, going 1-5 before being replaced by PJ Walker.

After Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a season-ending foot injury Sunday, the San Francisco 49ers could use a quarterback with Mayfield as a potential fit.

DEC 3 DEION TO COLORADO The Colorado Buffaloes have officially hired Deion Sanders as their new head coach.

Sanders has coached Jackson State for the past three seasons and went undefeated in the SWAC this year.

Sanders played for the Falcons from 1989-1993 and was an All-Pro twice in Atlanta.

DEC 2 BREES LIGHTNING STRIKE It makes for a heck of a tall tale to add to the mythology of retired New Orleans Saints great Drew Brees … but no. Despite video appearances and presumptive tweets, the longtime Falcons foe was not “struck by lighting.”

Maybe pretty close, though. Unless…

As you can see in the video, Brees is filming a TV ad when some nasty form of weather hits… something.

But did a bolt hit Brees?

Hey, everybody, be safe out there.

So, hey, everybody, be wary of giant corporations with clever advertising firms trying to get your attention with fake stuff.

NOV 30 TURNER ARRESTED Former Atlanta Falcons running back Michael Turner is facing child abandonment charges after having been jailed in Gwinnett County earlier this month.

Turner, 40, has since been released from the Gwinnett County Jail after having previously been arrested in July on failure to pay child support charges. The child’s mother claims Turner owes more than $11,000 in back child support and that he has not seen his daughter in over a year, despite living less than 30 minutes away from her.

Turner played for Atlanta from 2008 to 2012.

NOV 27 BUCS LOSS KEEPS FALCONS IN STRIKING DISTANCE

The Atlanta Falcons are sending a thank-you card to the Cleveland Browns after beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday afternoon.

The Falcons’ gut-wrenching 19-13 loss keeps them at 5-7 in the NFC South standings, opening the door for the Bucs to take a 1.5-game lead in the division.

However, after the Bucs lost in overtime to the Browns, Tampa moves to 5-6, just 0.5 games back of the Falcons.

NOV 24 EDWARDS CUT; DARBY SIGNED

The Atlanta Falcons placed wide receiver Bryan Edwards on waivers Thursday. The move comes just a day after the team signed wide receiver Frank Darby from the practice squad.

The Falcons traded for Edwards from the Las Vegas Raiders back in May and there was hope that he could be a starter for Atlanta this season.

However, he failed to live up to expectations, catching only three passes for 15 yards in seven games this season.

NOV 23 PATTERSON EARNS NFC HONORS AFTER SETTING KICK RETURN RECORD

Atlanta Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson has been named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after scoring his NFL-record ninth kick return touchdown Sunday against the Chicago Bears.

Patterson, 31, took a second quarterback kickoff 103 yards back to the house, the first of his Falcons career. The last time Patterson returned a kick for a score was in 2020 when he was a member of the Bears. A four-time All-Pro, Patterson now sits in sole possession of first place in return scores… and has some added hardware as a result.

NOV 23 GRADY JARRETT NOMINATED FOR SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

Atlanta Falcons defensive tackle Grady Jarrett has been named the team’s nominee for the Art Rooney Sportsmanship Award.

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Falcon’s Rookie Review: Timmy Horne’s Ascension Key For DL

During the Atlanta Falcons’ bye week, Falcon Report will be examining the rookie seasons of each of the team’s draftees (plus a few extra). Up next in the series is undrafted free agent nose tackle Timmy Horne, who’s started each of the last two games.

The honor is presented each year to an NFL player who demonstrates the qualities of on-field sportsmanship, including fair play, respect for the game and opponents, and integrity in competition

Alex Mack and Jake Matthews were nominated for the award the previous two years, and now Jarrett joins them.

NOV 21 FALCONS SIGN COMPTON AND RAINE, CLAIM JOHNSON

After a hectic day of injury news, the Atlanta Falcons have made several roster moves.

With tight end Kyle Pitts and defensive tackle Ta’Quon Graham on injured reserve, the Falcons have signed tight end John Raine to the practice, claimed defensive tackle Jaleel Johnson off waivers from the Houston Texans and signed free agent linebacker Will Compton.

Compton, 33, spent time with Falcons coach Arthur Smith when the two were on the Tennessee Titans. He last played in 2021 with the Las Vegas Raiders and has since risen to stardom on the “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast powered by Barstool Sports. Compton announced his return to the gridiron via social media Monday night:

Compton previously worked out for the Falcons in early October with the belief that a later signing could be in the cards, and the two sides evidently felt the conclusion of Week 12 was the right time. Compton will have a physical Tuesday morning and join the team in time for Sunday’s game against the Washington Commanders.

NOV 19 FALCONS ELEVATE DARBY, NEUZIL

The Atlanta Falcons have elevated receiver Frank Darby and offensive lineman Ryan Neuzil from the practice squad to the active roster ahead of Sunday’s game against the Chicago Bears.

A sixth-round pick in 2021, Darby has played in just one game this season and has only one career reception to his name in 11 contests.

This marks Neuzil’s third consecutive elevation, as injuries to left guard Elijah Wilkinson and his replacement Matt Hennessy, who’s also the backup center, have created depth problems on Atlanta’s offensive line. Neuzil can play all at all three spots on the interior.

The Falcons and Bears will kick off at 1 pm Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

NOV 16 MCKINLEY TO COWBOYS

Another former member of Dan Quinn’s defense is reuniting with him.

The Dallas Cowboys signed drummer McKinley to the practice squad. ESPN was the first to report the news.

McKinley, who just turned 26, was drafted in the first round by Quinn and the Falcons in 2017 and played in Atlanta until 2020.

Since leaving Atlanta, McKinley has bounced around the league to the Las Vegas Raiders (2020), Cleveland Browns (2021), Tennessee Titans (2022) and Los Angeles Rams (2022).

NOV 13 MATT RYAN RETURNS TO STARTING QB ROLE FOR COLTS

After 14 years as the starting quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons, Matt Ryan found himself in unfamiliar territory after just seven games as an Indianapolis Colts – a healthy scratch on Sunday’s, relegated to holding a tablet on the sideline as second-year pro Sam Ehlinger took over under centre.

But with the Colts firing coach Frank Reich on Monday and replacing him with former center and ESPN analyst Jeff Saturday, Ryan’s life returned to normalcy, as he was back on the field for Sunday’s contest against the Las Vegas Raiders, even after Saturday named Ehlinger the starter.

Ryan ended the day 21 of 28 for 222 yards passing and one touchdown, throwing no interceptions and taking just one sack in a turnover-free performance. The 37-year-old added a 39-yard scramble, which nearly doubled his previous career long of 20, achieved during 2010, his third professional season.

Indianapolis won 25-20, almost a month since its last victory (Oct. 16 vs. the Jacksonville Jaguars). Ryan will look to keep the Colts in the win column next Sunday against the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles inside Lucas Oil Stadium.

NOV 13 BUCS PUSH FALCONS GAME BACK IN STANDINGS

After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 21-16 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Munich, Tom Brady’s team holds sole possession of first place in the NFC South at 5-5.

The Falcons had the opportunity to match that record on Thursday against the Carolina Panthers, but a 25-15 loss pushed them back to 4-6, closing the door of opportunity.

While this doesn’t spell the end for the Falcons this season, it puts them behind the 8-ball. Now, the Falcons must hope that the Bucs slip up at some point during the season before the two teams meet in the Week 18 season finale.

NOV 7 PANTHERS ANNOUNCE STARTING QB VS. FALCONS

The Carolina Panthers have named PJ Walker as the starting quarterback for Thursday night’s contest against the Atlanta Falcons.

Walker threw a miraculous Hail Mary as part of a 317-yard passing performance when the two teams met in Atlanta on Oct. 30, but completed just three of 10 passes for nine yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions in Carolina’s loss to the Cincinnati Bengals this past Sunday.

Former Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield replaced Walker and went 14 of 20 for 155 yards and two touchdowns, leading three scoring drives in the process but evidently didn’t do enough to take the job away from Walker.

The Falcons and Panthers square off at 8:15 pm inside Bank of America Stadium.

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