FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — When Darnell Mooney signed with the Falcons in the offseason, he called Drake London immediately. He told London: "We're going to do this thing together."
Flash forward almost 10 months later, and they've done exactly that to become one of the top wide receiver duos in the league.
"After that call, I saw it as — that's 1A, 1B," London said. "We're going to attack people. We're going to go full-fledged at that. And ever since, it's just been that."
London was the only Falcons wide receiver to record more than 750 yards in the last two seasons. Now, Mooney and London have the chance to become the first pair of receivers to notch 1,000 yards since Julio Jones and Roddy White did so in 2012.
London surpassed 1,000 yards in Week 17 for the first time in his career. Mooney needs just 8 yards to reach the milestone; however, he did not participate in Friday's practice and was listed as questionable for Sunday due to a shoulder injury on the team’s injury report.
Regardless of Mooney's status for the regular season finale, this is what the Falcons' coaching staff envisioned for the receivers ahead of the season.
"In free agency, Darnell was our top target to try to get to complement Drake's skillset. His speed and one-on-one ability was something that we all liked," Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said. "As we started putting this whole thing together in the spring, you could see how it could complement, how they could work well together. It's kind of just grown and taken a life of its own."
Mooney and London have been described as the cerebral and emotional leaders by Falcons head coach Raheem Morris. Mooney is the head. London is the heart.
When Mooney drew interest from the Falcons during free agency they liked what he put on tape. They liked his speed, they liked how he was seemingly always open. After Mooney got in the building, they realized how methodical he was. The wide receiver meets with Robinson every Friday after practice to go over the game plan.
"We hit all the passes and he just wants to know, 'Hey, what are we thinking here?' Robinson said. "He does a great job relaying those things to the guys on game day. If there's somebody that's getting lined up and they're not quite sure, he knows all the spots. He knows every position. It's really impressive."
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has only seen a couple receivers take initiative like that. Los Angeles Rams' All-Pro receiver Cooper Kupp was one. Julio Jones, the Falcons' all-time leader in receiving yards, was another. Morris worked closely with Jones during his time as Falcons wide receivers coach from 2016-19.
Mooney also impressed veteran offensive lineman Jake Matthews when he'd call out in-game pressure reads. That's something the O-Line, a quarterback or running back would typically do, but Mooney knew the tackles can't always see as far as he can. He also knew if he alerts them to the pressure and they pick up the protection, it is easier for him to get the ball.
That knowledge has extended to London, too. The biggest thing London has learned from his fellow receiver this season is reading defensive coverages at a higher level and identifying blitzes.
While Mooney brings the sage knowledge, London brings the fire. That's something that initially surprised Mooney when they got to know each other. Mooney didn't realize the typically lowkey California native could bring such aggression on the field. London has been passionate since he was drafted in 2022, but teammates like Bijan Robinson have noticed how London has grown as a vocal leader. Robinson hopes to take that next step in his upcoming third season like London did.
"I don't really speak too much," London said. "I may be yelling at myself, talking to myself a lot but ... there's all grown men in here, you know? So there's a fine line that you have to play if you want to go that route. Definitely just being here for three years, you get more comfortable, you see a lot of familiar faces, so you know how to attack certain situations."
Mooney and London balance each other out interpersonally. Their skill sets complement each other. And together they've combined to become one of the Falcons' best receiving duos in recent memory.
"They are both very, very smart football players. They love it. They compete. Those two guys are a lot of fun to coach every single day because they bring it, and they bring out the best in everybody," Zac Robinson said. "It's no surprise that they're having such great seasons. They're just a lot of fun to be around."
