Following an unexpected blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers in NFL Week 3, the offseason buzz surrounding the Atlanta Falcons seemed to dim. But coming off an impressive victory over the Washington Commanders in Week 4 and their bye in Week 5, all eyes were on Atlanta for their primetime Monday Night Football matchup against the AFC juggernaut Buffalo Bills on Oct. 13.
The Falcons picked up right where they left off, courtesy of running back Tyler Allgeier’s 21-yard touchdown rush less than three minutes into the game. Buffalo responded quickly as reigning NFL MVP quarterback Josh Allen threw a dart to veteran tight end Dawson Knox for a 19-yard score to tie the game. Both teams’ defenses tightened up temporarily following the consecutive touchdown drives, forcing the offenses to punt. Second-year Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. then led a nine-play touchdown drive as he connected with star wide receiver Drake London for the score.
After Atlanta’s defense forced a Buffalo turnover on downs, Falcons superstar running back Bijan Robinson ripped off an electric 81-yard touchdown run to extend the Falcons’ lead to 21-7. Atlanta just barely came up short of scoring again as London sprinted 39 yards to the endzone before getting pushed out of bounds by Buffalo safety Taylor Rapp at the one-yard line as the first half clock expired.
The Bills fought back, keeping the game within reach until Falcons linebacker DeAngelo Malone intercepted Allen with 51 seconds remaining in regulation time to ice the game, sealing an impressive victory for the Falcons.
The statement win included notable performances from Atlanta’s three core offensive players. Penix Jr. outdueled Allen as he finished the game with 25o passing yards, one touchdown and no turnovers. While Allen did complete two touchdown passes, it was not enough to overcome two costly interceptions and only 180 passing yards. London tallied a season-high 10 receptions for 158 yards and a touchdown. Robinson had a memorable outing as he recorded a jaw-dropping 238 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. From start to finish, the Falcons’ offense was clicking on all cylinders.
Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris has the Falcons sitting at a record of 3-2 and contending for an early first-place spot in the NFC South standings if they can continue to make up some ground on the 5-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The team brought in several players to shore up last season’s 23rd-ranked defense, but arguably their most significant addition was hiring a familiar face in defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, who spent five years with Atlanta as a linebackers coach and a few months as interim defensive coordinator before taking over the New York Jets’ defensive duties over the past four seasons. Through just five games with the Falcons this season, the unit has seen substantial improvements and ranks atop the league’s best defenses thus far.
Atlanta’s defensive improvement was evident while facing the Bills, with the Falcons containing Buffalo’s high-powered offense to a measly 14 points. Atlanta’s defensive unit intercepted Allen twice, marking his first multi-interception game since a matchup with the Indianapolis Colts in November 2024.
Next week, all eyes will be on Atlanta again as they travel to the West Coast to take on the 4-2 San Francisco 49ers in a primetime Sunday Night Football matchup. With their offensive playmakers hitting their strides and the defense continuing to improve, the Falcons will hope to take advantage of a favorable schedule going forward as they aim to advance to the postseason for the first time since their 2017 divisional round loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
