Atlanta, GA
Inside Tori's Notebook: The consistency conundrum of the 2024 Atlanta Falcons
I’M TRYING HERE — OK. I have to be honest with you. I didn’t want to write this week’s notebook. There was no part of the Falcons’ loss to the Vikings that I wanted to touch with a 10-foot pole. Call me the Grinch, but that’s how I felt.
I’m just… tired, and I guess I expected too much. Whatever the case may be, I sit here on Monday afternoon struggling to string words together just as the Falcons have struggled to string wins together.
It just feels as though every time one aspect of the Falcons’ game improves or plays well (the pass rush or run game Sunday afternoon, for example), another part of the game breaks down (the secondary’s performance, turnover margin and penalties). It’s a toss up weekly. And I’m having a difficult time finding consistency in any one aspect of the Falcons’ game or identity.
Back when this team held a 6-3 record and was 4-0 in the division, I thought their identity was that they just found ways to win. It wasn’t pretty at times, but they did enough when crunch time arrived to make the plays count. After dropping each of their last four games, I don’t feel that way any longer.
This feeling left me searching for anything even remotely related to consistency with this team. I started to write about Bijan Robinson. I started to write about Darnell Mooney and Drake London. All three continue to show up for Atlanta, but we’ve talked about them ad nauseam, right?
So, the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to write about someone who wasn’t making headlines nationally the way Robinson, London or even Mooney has. Thinking back to the game Sunday — and after a conversation with Will McFadden — I eventually landed on writing about A.J. Terrell, who despite the secondary’s showing against the Vikings, was playing at a clip we should be talking about.
But even then, after watching every single Vikings pass play on the all-22 tape, I couldn’t (in good conscience) praise one player when the secondary, as a whole, gave up 347 yards on 22 completions and five touchdowns to Sam Darnold. Sure, Terrell was lined up against Justin Jefferson on 18 of his 32 routes (56.3%). And yes, he only gave up one reception for 7 yards as the nearest defender in coverage. But to ignore the crux of the game being that the secondary allowed Darnold to record a career-high 163 passing yards on passes beyond 20 air yards, well, that just felt wrong.
What everyone will remember from the game is the coverage on the 49-yard touchdown pass to Jordan Addison in the first quarter or the breakdown on the 52-yard touchdown pass to Jefferson in the third. It won’t be that Terrell had a solid outing against him. Is that fair? Up for debate.
I write all of this to ultimately say I am at a loss for what to write about.
The irony, right? A writer without words to pen.
But I guess that’s kind of the point I am trying to make about this team at this juncture in the season. I’ve written so many words about it. I have praised this roster. I’ve spurred hope for it. I’ve been critical of it when I needed to be. But right now? I don’t have much to say, because until they piece this thing together, there really isn’t much to harp on without feeling as though I am twisting the knife when I am critical or carrying water if I am overly positive.
I could write all day long about the impact of Robinson, the emergence of Mooney, the solid nature of London or the shutdown outings of Terrell, or I could go the other way. I could write about the red-zone problems, the one-too-many turnovers or the drive-shifting penalties. But honestly? What matters to you — Dear Reader — are the wins. And right now? I can’t write about the wins because the Falcons have fallen below .500. Nothing I write here matters except that.
Atlanta, GA
Davante Adams Will Not Play Week 17 Versus Atlanta
Davante Adams will now miss a second straight game on December 29th as Sean McVay announced he did not expect Adams to return for the Week 17 Monday Night Football game. Adams is currently battling a hamstring injury. While it is not season ending, it is enough to keep the wide receiver out for the most crucial stretch for fantasy football owners.
Roll Out The Beautiful Touchdown Stat
If anyone wonders what Adams provides that is so top notch. Check this statline out.
NFL Receiving TD Leaders – 2025
Davante Adams (LAR) 14 (Thru WK 15)
— NFL Analytics & Stats (@gofbanalytics) December 20, 2025
Amon-Ra St. Brown (DET) 11
Trey McBride (ARI) 10
Dallas Goedert (PHI) 9
Jaxon Smith-Njigba (SEA) 9
Tee Higgins (CIN) 9
George Pickens (DAL) 8
Michael Pittman Jr. (IND) 7
Quentin Johnston (LAC) 7
Adams may not play another down in the regular season and could still lead the league in touchdowns. A lot can happen over the next few weeks but anything is possible. Still, 14 touchdowns in 15 games is impressive. That is a big dent in production and hurts fantasy football owners even more.
What Other Impacts May This Have?
In Week 16 against the Seattle Seahawks, the offense ran through Puka Nacua and Colby Parkinson. Nacua was amazing with 225 receiving yards and two touchdowns. He was targeted 16 times and caught 12 passes from Matthew Stafford. Nacua could be in line for another incredible game against Atlanta. The Falcons have been giving up more passing yards of late and 419 to Carolina in Week 11).
A question mark may be Colby Parkinson. Parkinson was in line to get more looks with Adams out but he only had two receptions for 21 yards on four targets. That was surprising. Stafford and Nacua had tunnel vision. Four players besides Nacua had more than four targets. The likelihood that Stafford throws 49 passes is low against Atlanta. Will they run more than 35 times? That is at least possible.
Never sit Matthew Stafford especially this season. Even in defeat to Seattle, he threw for 457 yards and three touchdowns. It should have been enough for a win and yet this was not. The Rams’ defense and particularly secondary should cause Stafford some pause. He has to wonder what it might take to win from week to week now.
Jalen Hurts to Dallas Goedert in the red zone is like Matthew Stafford to Davante Adams
— McArthur Alexander (@mcarthura2007) December 21, 2025
The one area that did cause the Rams some trouble at times was throwing in the red zone against Seattle. After all, Harrison Mevis did have to attempt four field goals (he made three) in the loss. There were a few times where one wondered gee Adams would have scored on that play. Despite that, Los Angeles did still score 37 points against Seattle.
Who Should You Stream In Place Of Adams?
Honestly, the good news is with this many days notice, fantasy football owners do not have to scramble quite as feverishly here. Some teams will let off the gas while others want to see what they have with younger players. Simply, options will be out there. Look toward our wide receiver streamer article that comes out during the week.
It is hard to believe but we are almost to the fantasy football finish line. This has been some year and good luck as the fantasy footbal season approaches its end.
More Fantasy On SI:
Atlanta, GA
Former Alabama prep star, Atlanta Braves outfielder dead at age 67
The funeral service for former Atlanta Braves outfielder Albert Hall is scheduled for 11 a.m. CST Monday at New Mount Zion Baptist Church in Birmingham.
Hall died on Tuesday at age 67.
On Sept. 23, 1987, Hall became the first player to hit for the cycle in an Atlanta Braves uniform and the first for the franchise since Bill Collins did so for the Boston Braves on Oct. 6, 1910. Twenty-one years after Hall’s feat, Mark Kotsay became the second Atlanta player to hit for the cycle on Aug. 14, 2008.
In Atlanta’s 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros, Hall led off the bottom of the first with a single and the bottom of the fifth with a double off Jim Deshaies. In the sixth, Hall hit a solo home run off Deshaies to tie the score at 4-4. Hall started the bottom of the ninth with a triple off reliever Dave Smith and ended the game by scoring on a wild pitch.
A speedy outfielder who stole 455 bases in the minor leagues, Hall went from Jones Valley High School in Birmingham to professional baseball when Atlanta selected him in the sixth round of the 1977 draft.
After hitting .308 and stealing 60 bases for the Southern League’s Savannah Braves in 1981, Hall made his MLB debut on Sept. 12, 1981, as a pinch-runner for catcher Bruce Benedict in the 10th inning of Atlanta’s 5-4 victory over the San Diego Padres.
From 1981 through 1988, Hall played in 375 games for the Braves before completing his MLB career with 20 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1989.
Hall posted a career batting average of .251 with a .328 on-base average and .335 slugging percentage. He had 125 runs, 202 hits, 37 doubles, eight triples, five home runs, 53 RBIs and 67 stolen bases in the big leagues.
Hall’s best season game in 1987, when he hit .284 and stole 33 bases in 92 games for Atlanta.
Hall appeared in minor-league games each season from 1977 through 1989, except in 1984 and 1987, when he spent the campaigns completely with Atlanta.
In 946 minor-league games, Hall hit .282 with a .376 on-base average and .372 slugging percentage. In 1980, Hall stole 100 bases for the Carolina League’s Durham Bulls.
After Monday’s service, burial will be at Elmwood Cemetery and Mausoleum in Birmingham.
Atlanta, GA
College football player found dead in Atlanta house fire
A college football player from Georgia was found dead in a house fire in suburban Atlanta, authorities confirmed earlier this week.
Izaiah Taylor, an offensive lineman for Georgia Military College, was staying at his grandfather’s house in Stone Mountain when the home erupted into flames around 1 p.m. EST on Monday, per WAGA-TV.
Taylor’s grandfather, Gregory Edwards, said that he was not at the home when he was notified about the blaze.
“Well, I got a call from my neighbor. Said there was smoke coming out of the home, and I immediately left work and headed to the house,” Edwards said.
According to WXIA-TV, flames had already engulfed the residence by the time first responders arrived, and Taylor, 21, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“There was no hesitation in going in and searching for the victim,” DeKalb County Fire Captain Jaeson Daniels said. “We got here, and we were able to establish a water supply. And again, receiving that information from one of the nearby residents stating that there was some water inside, we actually went right in and performed a search and luckily found him pretty quick, but unfortunately he was deceased. Once we found him.”
Taylor transferred to the junior college, located in Milledgeville, ahead of this past season after playing for Liberty University in 2024.
“Georgia Military College is deeply saddened by the loss of one of our students, Izaiah Taylor,” the college said in a statement on Tuesday. “Our hearts are with Izaiah’s family, friends, classmates, and all those who knew and loved him.”
Investigators are still determining the cause of the fire, WRDW-TV reported.
Edwards got emotional when talking about his grandson, calling him “a gentle giant.”
“He was one of the kindest people you would have ever known. He wasn’t a bully,” Edwards said. “He was a good boy. He didn’t deserve this.”
“What can I say? I mean, that’s not an easy pill to swallow. You know, you don’t bury your grandchildren,” he added.
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