The Atlanta Falcons' rivalry with the New Orleans Saints always holds some significance, especially when a star is trying to make history

The Atlanta Falcons received some very tough news on Wednesday with star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. needing surgery to repair his ACL. The estimated recovery timeline will be at least nine months, according to NFL Insider Ian Rapoport.

The Falcons opened linebacker Divine Deablo ‘s 21-day practice window on Monday, but he won’t need the full three weeks to return from IR. The team will activate Deablo on Wednesday, D. Orlando Ledbetter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports. Head coach Raheem Morris said he expects Deablo to play on Sunday against the Saints.

The Atlanta Falcons had a few positive injury developments on what has otherwise been a brutal week. Michael Penix Jr., Drake London, and more remain out.

Before we look ahead of to Week 8, though, let's recap what happened in the Falcons ' 20-10 loss to the 49ers. Atlanta controlled the game in the first half before making some crucial mistakes late in the first half that cost the team points and gave the 49ers life.

The Atlanta Falcons have faced tough losses for three straight weeks, narrowly missing wins that extended their losing streak to five games.

The Falcons made a series of bold gambits in an effort to end one of the NFL's longest playoff droughts. Now, Atlanta looks like it could implode.

The nominees for the Falcons Coach of the Week award, powered by AJC Varsity, exemplify coaching excellence with relation to their teams, fan bases and communities.

No good team has ever lost five games in a row in the National Football League. That tells you all you need to know about Raheem Morris’ Atlanta Falcons