{"id":9244,"date":"2025-11-15T02:26:59","date_gmt":"2025-11-15T02:26:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/falcons-coach-makes-stunning-admission-about-darnell-mooneys-injury-2\/"},"modified":"2025-11-15T02:26:59","modified_gmt":"2025-11-15T02:26:59","slug":"falcons-coach-makes-stunning-admission-about-darnell-mooneys-injury-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/?p=9244","title":{"rendered":"Falcons Coach Makes Stunning Admission About Darnell Mooney\u2019s Injury"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Falcons<\/p>\n

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA \u2013 The Atlanta Falcons are fighting desperately to get their season back on track after dropping their fourth-straight game in Week 10. One major reason for that is their inability to get wide receiver Darnell Mooney going, and Falcons head coach Raheem Morris had an eye-opening admission about why that may be the case.\u00a0<\/p>\n

After a breakout 2024 season where he caught 64 passes for 992 yards and five touchdowns, Mooney has struggled to recapture that form in 2025.<\/p>\n

Through 10 weeks and six full games played, the veteran has struggled, notching just 13 receptions (35 targets) for 190 yards. Of the players who have run at least 200 routes, no one in the NFL has a lower catch rate than Mooney (37.1%).<\/p>\n

Injuries, drops, and a general lack of cohesion with second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. have derailed his season. The Falcons\u2019 deep threat has\u00a0not been able to fill that role in 2025<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/u>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Morris has been asked several times about what has slowed the progression of their connection, dating back to the initial injury he picked up during training camp. No clear injury update was provided, aside from Mooney missing a \u201cfew weeks,\u201d but the head coach gave some insight into why the injury has seemed to linger over this season.\u00a0<\/p>\n

During his\u00a0weekly interview with Dukes & Bell on the Falcons\u2019 flagship station<\/u>, 92.9 The Game, Morris finally provided the answer to why Mooney missed the time he did over the summer.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been coming up to speed, which I love,\u201d Morris said during this interview. To which Carl Dukes pressed the Falcons\u2019 head coach on what can be expected of the wideout moving forward.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t make excuses, you never talk about these things, but we knew how this would work,\u201d Morris said before making the shocking admission that had not been known before.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cMooney broke his collarbone on the first play of training camp,\u201d the Falcons head coach said. \u201cHe missed all that time and came back the second week of the season. That was the first time they [Mooney and Penix] actually practiced together. You start working those practices, you knew the four weeks of the season would almost be like training camp for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo you\u2019re working those things in, you\u2019re getting him going, you\u2019re getting his legs back, and running fast, all those things. Then he had the small setback with the hamstring, and he misses the two weeks.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

Injuries have piled up \u2013 first the collarbone in July, then the hamstring setback that cost him more time in the fall.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Despite the ailments that have slowed his season, the Falcons\u2019 staff is still confident he can get going in the season\u2019s second half.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI anticipate Mooney kind of taking off from here,\u201d offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said on October 29th. \u201cHe’s finally getting his legs back. Obviously, we know what he can do at a high level. Had a great season last year. Just the training camp, missing that, and then kind of getting back into the flow, getting his legs back, getting the hammy back, all those things. So, I anticipate Mooney taking a big jump from this point forward.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Falcons\u2019 play-caller doubled down on that statement on Wednesday, saying he\u2019s \u201cso close to breaking out.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether or not he can show some improvement down the stretch of the season remains to be seen. His next opportunity will be this Sunday in Week 11 against the Carolina Panthers.\u00a0<\/p>\n

However, what doesn\u2019t make sense is why the Falcons didn\u2019t push to acquire more players to prevent the situation the team now finds itself in. This injury takes several weeks to months to recover from. Morris then acknowledged there would be an additional ramp-up period.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Veteran D.J. Chark Jr. was the only significant addition after the injury, but he was cut just a few weeks later. The Falcons have since leaned on a now-released Ray-Ray McCloud, David Sills V, and Casey Washington to be the secondary option for Drake London in the wide receiver room.\u00a0<\/p>\n

And their production has not been nearly enough to support a young quarterback who is in the early phases of his development. London has 53 receptions for 691 yards and six touchdowns this season, while the other wideouts (including McCloud) on this roster have\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Falcons took a risk, and it burned them.\u00a0<\/p>\n

With eight games left, Mooney is finally healthy. Now, the Falcons need that long-awaited connection with Penix to materialize before the season is lost entirely.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got to be better, plain and simple. There\u2019s no excuse for where we are right now. We need to hold ourselves accountable and make the necessary changes, because this isn\u2019t acceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

<\/em> \u2014 Alex Tuch<\/strong>, Buffalo Sabres Forward<\/p>\n

Buffalo Sabres fans, brace yourselves: change is coming<\/strong>. After yet another brutal defeat \u2014 a 5-2 loss to Utah followed by a 6-2 drubbing by the Colorado Avalanche \u2014 it’s clear that this team is nowhere near the contender they were supposed to be this season. And for fans who\u2019ve waited 14 years for a playoff spot, the latest string of losses is a hard pill to swallow. With Buffalo\u2019s record now at a dismal <\/p>\n

Sabres in Crisis Mode: A Season on the Brink<\/strong><\/p>\n

The loss to the Avalanche capped off a disastrous five-game losing streak, with <\/p>\n

The truth is, the Sabres have been in this situation for far too long<\/strong>. The fans are fed up, and even the players are starting to admit what\u2019s been painfully obvious: <\/p>\n

The End of the Line for Adams and Ruff?<\/strong><\/p>\n

At this point, there is no denying that accountability must fall on both <\/p>\n

As Tuch<\/strong> stated, “There\u2019s no excuse for where we are right now.”<\/em> The Sabres have been left behind in a rapidly advancing NHL, and with another playoff-less season on the horizon, it\u2019s time for ownership to act.<\/p>\n

The Roster Shake-Up: Who\u2019s Safe and Who\u2019s Not?<\/strong><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s not just the front office and coaching staff that needs to change. With this current Sabres team showing no signs of getting it together, nearly <\/p>\n

The Sabres need to shed their past<\/strong> \u2014 and that means moving out players who aren’t contributing to the rebuild. It\u2019s a painful reality, but every player needs to be held accountable<\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

<\/strong> for this team’s continued failure. It\u2019s no longer about potential or promises \u2014 it\u2019s about delivering results<\/strong>, and if you\u2019re not part of the solution, you\u2019ll be part of the problem.<\/p>\n

Buffalo\u2019s Road to Redemption: How to Fix the Sabres?<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, what now for Buffalo? The road to redemption starts with tough decisions. Kevyn Adams<\/strong> will need to make bold moves to reshape the roster, bringing in fresh talent to bolster the lineup. The Sabres\u2019 defense needs a complete overhaul, and the goaltending situation is looking more desperate by the day. The team can no longer afford to let mediocrity slip by \u2014 it\u2019s time to build a playoff-caliber team<\/strong>, and the clock is ticking.<\/p>\n

This won\u2019t be an easy fix, but with the right moves, Buffalo could finally<\/em> start to dig itself out of this hole. The fans deserve a competitive team, and the Sabres owe it to themselves to deliver.<\/p>\n

Can the Sabres Turn It Around?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no sugar-coating it \u2014 the Sabres\u2019 current path is not sustainable. Another year of misery for Buffalo fans will simply not do. As the Sabres face the harsh reality of their worst season in recent memory, one thing is clear: the status quo cannot continue<\/strong>. The front office and coaching staff need to make bold, immediate changes. The future of the Buffalo Sabres depends on it.<\/p>\n

The time for change is now \u2014 and for the first time in years, it feels like the Sabres have no choice but to start fresh.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

FLOWERY BRANCH, GA \u2013 The Atlanta Falcons are fighting desperately to get their season back on track after dropping their fourth-straight game in Week 10. One major reason for that is their…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":9243,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t