FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Atlanta Falcons (8-9)

Expectations

There is a win-now atmosphere around a franchise that has not had a winning season or playoff appearance since 2017. When the Falcons were questioned for trading their 2026 first-round pick to the Los Angeles Rams to select James Pearce Jr. as their second edge rusher of the first round this year, coach Raheem Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot said they expect to win this year. They also plan for that 2026 pick traded away to be a late first-round pick. The Falcons invested heavily in boosting their long-suffering pass rush, adding Leonard Floyd in free agency before taking Georgia's Jalon Walker and Pearce from Tennessee in the first round. The spotlight will be on second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who star

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