FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Kirk Cousins relayed the playcall in the huddle and readied to get to the line. It was late in the second quarter against the New York Jets, and the Atlanta Falcons were in the red zone.
Before they broke, wide receiver David Sills V turned to Cousins, the team's quarterback.
"It was a little rushed and I said the motion incorrectly," Cousins recalled. "And David looked at me and said, 'That's wrong. I'll fix it.'"
The Falcons' offense looks much different now than it did to start the season. And the team is trying to find the right combination to keep Atlanta, which is 4-8, competitive the rest of the way.
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. went down in Week 11 with a torn ACL, and he'll be out for the remainder of 2025. Cousins took over as starter in Week 12. The Falcons' starting wide receivers in Week 1 were Drake London, Ray-Ray McCloud III and Casey Washington, with KhaDarel Hodge getting some snaps. Against the Jets last Sunday, they were Darnell Mooney and Sills, with Dylan Drummond and Deven Thompkins getting reps.
London has been dealing with a left PCL strain and "has a chance to play" this Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks. McCloud was released earlier in the season. Washington and Hodge were healthy scratches against the Jets.
Mooney has missed time this season with injuries, including a broken collarbone in training camp. Sills, Drummond and Thompkins were practice squad players Cousins got reps with in practice on the scout team.
Falcons coach Raheem Morris said that the personnel shuffling in the wide receiver room has been "based on practice" and is "always going to be the best player."
"You've been able to see guys like [Thompkins] really emerge and become a guy for us, and last week he went out, got a couple of completions, was able to be a part of our jet-sweep game, was able to be a part of our return game and he's really provided a spark for us and those are the guys [that are] going to play to provide those sparks at this moment," Morris said.
Sills has caught touchdown passes in his last two games, the first two of his NFL career. Cousins and Sills developed a chemistry and trust in training camp and have their lockers next to one another.
As a whole, the Falcons' offense has at least maintained the status quo without Penix and London, with maybe even a slight uptick in production.
In Penix's starts this season, the Falcons were 20th in the league in EPA per play (-0.06), 25th points per game (20.6), 12th in success rate (44.7%) and 11th in yards per game (345.8). With Cousins starting the last two games, Atlanta is 13th in EPA per play (-0.03), 14th in points per game (24), sixth in success rate (44.3%) and 12th in yards per game (345.5).
The biggest difference with Cousins back in there -- he started 14 games last season before getting benched for Penix -- is the receivers need to stay on their toes, Mooney said.
"You have to get your head around," Mooney said. "He can get the progression really fast, and he'll say no to something really fast. He'll get off it and get to the backside really fast. So, from the backside you have to get there, get to your point really fast, especially if it's some pressure or anything. Just being ready at all times."
Cousins said he has also leaned on his tight ends.Kyle Pitts Sr. had seven catches for 82 yards against the Jets. And, of course, Bijan Robinson has been excellent all season. He leads the league in yards from scrimmage (132.4).
But when it comes to wide receivers, it's a much different look than the Falcons expected. And that has been just fine for Cousins so far, which was exemplified by Sills' correction in the first half. On that play where Sills fixed the motion, running back Tyler Allgeier ran for a 1-yard touchdown.
"And I kind of said to myself as I walked down to the line of scrimmage, 'Thank goodness,'" Cousins said. "It's such a blessing to play with receivers who are on the details. Mooney is that way, [Drummond is] that way. Just having guys out there that you know can really trust to be where they need to be when they need to be there. And as a quarterback, that always gives you comfort and confidence."