New England Patriots
Penix (knee) and London (hip) missed Atlanta’s Week 8 matchup against the Dolphins last week.
The Patriots will face the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback and No. 1 wide receiver after the pair missed last week’s game against the Miami Dolphins due to injury.
Michael Penix Jr. (knee) and Drake London (hip) were full participants during the Falcons’ practice on Friday, indicating that the tandem will be good to go during their Week 9 matchup with New England in Foxborough.
The QB and pass-catcher were each limited during Wednesday and Thursday’s practices after sitting out the week prior when Kirk Cousins filled in under center. The Dolphins earned their second win of the season with a 34-10 victory over Atlanta, as the Falcons fell to 3-4.
Atlanta comes to Massachusetts to face a 6-2 Patriots team on a five-game win streak; the return of Penix and London couldn’t come at a better time for the Falcons, who are on a two-game losing streak entering the week.
London is one of the best wide receivers in the game this season and could certainly be a thorn in New England’s side as they seek a sixth consecutive win. Pro Football Focus ranked the 24-year-old the sixth-ranked WR in the NFL ahead of Week 9. London has caught 38 passes on 63 targets (60.3 percent), registered 20 first down catches, is averaging 78.2 yards per game (ninth-best in the NFL), and has caught two touchdowns through six games played.
The elite-catcher will be playing against star Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, similarly one of the league’s top defensive backs. London is fifth in PFF’s receiving grade since 2024, while Gonzalez is sixth in PFF’s coverage grade since 2024.
Notably, Gonzalez has not allowed a single touchdown in his last 478 coverage snaps — a significant stat ahead of his exciting matchup versus London. He’s just 22 coverage snaps away from hitting 500 straight without giving up a score.
Gonzalez spoke highly of London while speaking with reporters on Thursday, highlighting his playmaking ability along with several other talented pieces of Atlanta’s offense.
“Drake, he’s a great receiver. He can do a lot,” Gonzalez said. “Runs really good routes for how big he is. Great catch radius. He’s a great target for Mike [Penix]. They got a great offense: Mike, Bijan [Robinson] is Bijan. So I mean, they got a great offense over there and we’re ready for the challenge.”
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
