Falcons trying to unlock the Michael Penix Jr.-to-Darnell Mooney connection

FLOWERY BRANCH — The Falcons were trying to quickly move into field-goal range with 25 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. went to wide receiver Darnell Mooney, and he dropped the pass that could have started a potential game-winning field-goal drive.

Mooney has been a missing component for the team’s offense this season. He’s hoping to get things turned around when the Falcons (3-6) face the Panthers (5-5) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

“I thought I had it in my hands,” Mooney told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I kind of move up, moved again, and I just dropped it. Uncharacteristic, something I don’t want to do. Another thing, it was something that was so minuscule, but something that is so big at the end when it actually meant something.”

Mooney, after being signed in free agency along with quarterback Kirk Cousins, reestablished himself in the NFL last season, when he caught 64 passes for 992 yards and five touchdowns.

For whatever reason, Mooney and Penix have not connected this season.

Mooney has caught 13 of 35 targets (34.3% catch rate) for 190 yards and no touchdowns. Mooney caught only 1 of 8 targets in the 31-25 overtime loss to the Colts in Berlin.

“I didn’t really do much out there,” Mooney said. “I was trying to do what I can. But I had the bad drop at the end with 25 seconds left. ... There’s nothing nobody can do about it.”

Mooney hopes to pick it up moving forward.

“We’ve got to start winning some games,” Mooney said. “We are in playoff atmosphere. We can’t really, there’s no losing. We have to figure something out and then let the chips fall where they fall.”

Mooney wouldn’t answer a question about playing with a veteran such as Cousins or trying to help a second-year quarterback such as Penix. Mooney missed most of training camp with a shoulder injury and didn’t have time to work a lot with Penix.

“You hate to make any excuses for any of it because nobody cares,” coach Raheem Morris said. “It’s more important that they are not having a great connection right now. The connection with Drake (London) has been outstanding, particularly over the last couple of weeks. You want to look closer to that with Mooney.”

Morris, who was the Falcons’ assistant head coach, wide receivers coach, and offensive pass-game coordinator from 2016-19, is looking at the issues.

“Whether it’s a really good throw and a drop, or whether it’s a bad throw and a miss off,” Morris said. “You’ve got to (have) those things to come together. How do you get that stuff to happen? The only way to do it is to practice and to go out there and do it together.”

With defense expected to concentrate on taking London away, Mooney should have some one-on-one situations. The Falcons plan to put in the practice time.

“You’ve got to have that time to do it,” Morris said. “They’ll be out there doing those things. Those are all the growing pains that we’re going through right now. We’ve got to have all those things happen for us the right way.”

Mooney still is viewed as a valuable part of the offense.

“We want Mooney to go out there and be our deep threat,” Morris said. “We want Mooney to be able to go out there and get balls in his hands, get some receptions, be able to catch and run. Do some of the things he did for us in a special way last year. We’ve got to get those things going.”

Mooney hopes to help the offense get moving on a more consistent basis.

“Something I’m trying to figure out. ... I can only see from my point of view,” Mooney said. “So, I don’t really know what’s going on (on third downs and consistency) as far as why things aren’t working out, why things are maybe a different way. I’ve got to watch the film and see.”

The offense has been sputtering for most of the season. They have had third-down woes (8 of 40) during the four-game losing streak.

“Sometimes we do feel like we have a rhythm,” Mooney said. “Sometimes it’s like, let’s continue to push this, let’s get in the end zone. We do that. Then there are sometimes when we have a lull, where there is like a three-and-out.”