Falcons need Drake London to return from knee injury to provide boost to thin wide receiver group

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. (AP) — Drake London's value to the Atlanta Falcons may be even more obvious when he's not on the field.

The team's No. 1 wide receiver certainly was missed in the Falcons' last-second 27-24 loss at the New York Jets last week. With London missing his second consecutive game with a knee injury, the team's inability to find consistent fill-in production was painfully obvious.

London was held out of Wednesday's practice, leaving his status uncertain for Sunday's home game against Seattle. Coach Raheem Morris says London is day to day. That's an upgrade in status from last week but far from a guarantee London will be available to give quarterback Kirk Cousins and the passing game a needed boost.

The Falcons (4-8) have lost six of their past seven games. They must win their last five games to avoid their eighth consecutive losing season. It would be an especially unlikely turnaround without London.

London has missed three games, including the past two, with injuries and still has almost tripled the receptions total of any other wide receiver on the roster. London has 60 catches for 810 yards and six touchdowns. Darnell Mooney is second among wide receivers with 21 catches for 323 yards and a touchdown.

Tight end Kyle Pitts (56 catches for 541 yards) and running back Bijan Robinson (54 for 594) also have played important roles in the passing game.

London was missed in the most crucial moments of last week's loss to the Jets. On the Falcons' final possession with an opportunity to possibly move into position for a go-ahead field goal, Pitts, David Sills V and Mooney had drops on three consecutive plays.

“Kyle would have been a tough one, contested, but he definitely can make it,” said coach Raheem Morris. “... All of those were drops, or considered drops, or a play you’ve got to go make, and those are the plays you’ve got to make to win football games.”

Pitts and Robinson were Atlanta's leading receivers in the game. No wide receiver had more than two catches. Deven Thompkins had his first two catches of the season after being called up from the practice squad and Dylan Drummond also had a catch as the Falcons continued their search for help at the position.

London was not seen for the portion of practice open for viewing by reporters on Wednesday. Morris said London was expected to “do some running stuff with our people on the side.”

Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson acknowledged he has had to try “a little bit more mixing and matching” in the search for production at the position.

“I think it’s been a great, I don’t know, challenge isn’t the word because you love these guys getting the opportunity,” Robinson said.

The lack of consistency behind London comes after wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard was fired on Sept. 22, one day after a 30-0 loss to Carolina. T.J. Yates, who was passing game coordinator, has served as wide receivers coach since Hilliard's exit.

The Falcons made another abrupt move when former starting wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud was released on Oct. 21. McCloud set a career high with 62 catches for 686 yards in 2024 but had been inactive in back-to-back games before his release.

Mooney was limited to two catches for 25 yards against the Jets after having three receptions for 74 yards and a touchdown in a 24-10 win at New Orleans on Nov. 23 that ended a five-game losing streak.

Morris insists the Falcons have talented options at wide receiver.

“It’s just more of how to get it going,” Morris said. "... It’s kind of a little exciting for me, as opposed to being frustrating now. You want to go out there and accumulate some wins with those guys and get those things done. But. when you get a chance to watch other people play, watch people get opportunities, it’s always cool to see people take advantage of it.”

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