FLOWERY BRANCH — For the third consecutive season, Falcons wide receiver Drake London has seen a change at the quarterback position.
When London was rookie, the Falcons moved on from Marcus Mariota and handed the ball to Desmond Ridder.
Last season, the Falcons played musical quarterbacks with Ridder and Taylor Heinicke.
Now, with London posting career highs in catches, yards and touchdowns, the team has benched quarterback Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr.
London and the wide receiver corps spent the week getting used to the new starting quarterback, who’s left-handed, before the Falcons (7-7) host the New York Giants (2-12) at 1 p.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“Honestly, how I look at it is, just catch the ball,” London said. “Whoever throws me the ball, I really don’t care. Just as long as it gets there and it’s catchable. That’s all that matters to me.”
Wide receiver Darnell Mooney is dealing with the change.
“It’s been different,” Mooney said. “A lack of chemistry. I’ve never caught a ball from him until like this week. Just something that we have to adapt to and be a pro.”
London has caught 78 of 199 targets (58.5%) for 919 yards and seven touchdowns, all career highs, with three games to play. The receivers spent time after practice working with Penix to get their timing down and adjust to the different spin on the ball.
“Yeah, we’ve got to do that in order to make him feel comfortable and make us feel comfortable as well,” London said. “It is a different spin. He’s got heat on that ball, so we have to be able to catch it.”
Mooney said, “It’s a different spin. It hits your hand a different way. It looks different in the air. If he throws it right, it’s going to spin back to the middle of the field. You just have to think about those things and adapt to it.”
Mooney had left-handed quarterbacks in high school and during his senior season at Tulane. After he heard Penix was named the starter, he summoned Ahmad DeRamus, his high school quarterback, to town. They played together in Gadsden, Alabama. DeRamus went on to play quarterback at Tuskegee.
“I told him to come to the house,” Mooney said. “I said we’ve got to get these reps in so I can see this ball in the air. He’s at the house right now.”
Penix had gone about his business while working on the scout team until this week.
“Mike doesn’t really talk too much unless you really talk to him,” London said. “I’m kind of the same way. I gave him his space because rookie season is a lot for people, especially a quarterback. Being drafted so high and things like that. Just the nature of what was going on here.”
London plans to work on his relationship with the new starting quarterback.
“I kind of let him do his own thing,” London said. “But obviously more talks are coming about. We are all getting a feel for him. Ray-Ray (McCloud), that’s his boy right there, so he helps us with that. Mike is a good dude. Whatever he’s doing, I’m falling right behind him.”
The Falcons went through a normal practice Thursday after a 72-play walk-through Wednesday. They practiced indoors Friday.
“It’s been received well,” London said of the promotion of Penix. “We know that we have a gunslinger back there.”
Mooney and McCloud also are having fine seasons.
“Be there for him, motivate him,” McCloud said. “Push him through the games like nothing has changed.”
Wide receiver Chris Blair, who’s on the practice squad, has been Penix’s No. 1 receiver on the scout team.
“Mike is a great quarterback,” Blair said. “He’s come in the right way. Took the job and is embracing everything, especially learning from Kirk. Now, he’s got his opportunity to go out there and show them why he was the eighth pick. I feel like he’s going to do great.”
Blair and Penix hooked up for a 41-yard gain in the exhibition game against the Dolphins. They have been working together to give the first-team defense scouted looks at the opposition.
“Mike is a gamer,” Blair said. “A lot the time when we are out there we try to treat the scout card like it’s our own plays. That allows him to be comfortable, go through to his reads and things like that. He does a good job of spreading the ball around. Using his mobility to kind of create plays on the scramble drill and things like that.”
The Falcons’ goals remain the same.
“Our goal is to win out,” London said. “That’s our plan. We are going to try everything we possibly can to make that happen for everybody in this locker room.”
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