The Atlanta Falcons provided a pleasant shocker on Sunday, defeating the Buffalo Bills 24-14 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. This victory certainly proved they are capable of being a true playoff threat. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. impressed with a 20-of-32 performance for 250 yards with one touchdown pass. In the same game, rookie running back Bijan Robinson turned in a transcendent play – an 81-yard touchdown run that broke numerous records and was 2023’s breakout moment.
Robinson, who entered the game leading the league in yards from scrimmage per game, amassed a total of 238 scrimmage yards. With this achievement, he became only the second player in NFL history to reach 450 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards within the first five games of a season, following the legendary Thurman Thomas in 1991. Penix was full of compliments for what the team accomplished, explaining that, “it just showed that we’re one of the ones.”
Defensively, the Falcons demonstrated their prowess by constantly pressuring Bills quarterback Josh Allen, blitzing him an impressive 71% of the time in the second half and applying pressure on 47.1% of his dropbacks. This defensive, rangy, and disruptive scheme was a huge part of their success and underscored their capacity to hang with the best of the best.
Raheem Morris, the Falcons’ second-year head coach, expressed his confidence in Robinson, stating, “I’ve said it multiple times, I can’t say it enough. You can always have your pick… but in my opinion, he’s the best player in football.” Morris spoke a great deal about the hunger within the team to get back to being a playoff organization. They haven’t had a winning record or made a postseason appearance since.
The Falcons improved to 3-2 with the win, having defeated all three of last year’s playoff teams so far. Penix reflected on the team’s potential, saying, “I feel like we have more in the tank… I feel like it is going to be a scary sight whenever we figure it out and all play together and play a full game.”
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