Falcons could be down Darnell Mooney with their playoff dreams on the line in Week 18

The timing could not be worse. The Atlanta Falcons are one game back of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South standings heading into the final week of the season. For the Dirty Birds to make the NFC playoffs for the first time since 2017, they need to beat the Carolina Panthers, as well as for Tampa Bay to lose to the rival New Orleans Saints. They may have to do this without Darnell Mooney...

Heading into Week 18, Ian Rapoport of The NFL Network relayed how much of a longshot it might for Atlanta's WR2 to play on Sunday at home vs. Carolina. He is reportedly dealing with a shoulder injury. Although Mooney is listed as questionable, Rapoport described him playing as "not ruled out. But an uphill battle." Mooney is eight yards away from having 1,000 on the season, his first with the Falcons.

Throughout the season, Mooney has been a vibrant part of Atlanta's much-improved receiving corps. At times, he had been the team's go-to receiver, especially when Drake London was banged up or Kyle Pitts could not get his stuff together. Mooney spent the previous season with the Chicago Bears, but has found a great home in Atlanta's offense. The goal may be to get him to that 1,000-yard mark.

Atlanta enters Week 18 as a touchdown favorite over Carolina, which is definitely in the Falcons' favor.

The only problem is that Tampa Bay is a two-touchdown favorite over a struggling New Orleans team.

Atlanta Falcons could be without Darnell Mooney heading into Week 18

Win or lose, this will be the Falcons' best season since earning an NFC Wild Card berth in 2017. That was the year after the Super Bowl run, one that will always live in infamy. Atlanta did upset the heavily-favored Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Wild Card round before losing one of the most frustrating playoff games in franchise history to the Philadelphia Eagles on something I call Fourth-and-Sark...

Look. 2025 was always going to be the make-or-break year with this Falcons' core. It was either going to be year two of great Kirk Cousins play, or year one of the Michael Penix Jr. era. With Penix about to make his third start of the season, we undeniably know it was the latter. But with that in mind, I was wondering why Penix was targeting Pitts more than London over his first two career Falcons starts.

This may have something to do with Mooney's shoulder injury. I know he is going to try everything in his power to play through the pain because he is a professional and that is what professionals do with the season on the line. Atlanta may not control its own destiny, but the Falcons have played much better football since the unmitigated disaster we saw about a month ago vs. the Minnesota Vikings.

Atlanta has a 9-percent chance to make the playoffs now, and a 14-percent chance should they win.