The Atlanta Falcons walked into Thursday night needing a reset, and they got exactly that in a 35-14 road win over the Green Bay Packers.
The night began with all the attention on Michael Penix Jr.’s return, but it quickly became a showcase for Bijan Robinson. Atlanta didn’t need a quarterback miracle to take control. It needed a passer who could at least threaten the defense, and Penix gave them enough of that to let the ground game breathe.
Penix’s first series back since November of last season ended in familiar fashion: with an interception. He opened with a screen to Bijan Robinson, then missed Jahan Dotson deep up the left side before throwing a pass over the middle that was picked off. Atlanta’s defense answered by forcing a three-and-out against Jordan Love and the Packers, helping steady things after the rough start.
Once Penix settled in, the game changed fast. He went 1 of 5 with the interception to start the first half, then completed 12 of his next 14 passes and found tight end Austin Hooper for a touchdown. By the end of the night, Penix had finished 18 of 25 for 256 yards and a touchdown.
Even those early misses mattered in a way that helped Atlanta. The Packers had to respect the possibility of the ball going beyond the line of scrimmage, and that was enough to give Robinson room to work. With him, Atlanta’s run game is dangerous even when the passing attack is only barely threatening.
Robinson was the engine all night. He didn’t do it alone, but he was the piece that got everything moving. Late in the first quarter, with Atlanta not showing much in the passing game, he ripped off a run that showed exactly why defenses can know what’s coming and still fail to stop it.
Brian Robinson added to the damage as well. He scored in the third quarter to push the Falcons ahead 24-7, and at that point he was averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
When a team runs for more than 200 yards, the offensive line deserves its share of the credit, and Atlanta’s big men earned it. Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson got the touchdowns, but the linemen did plenty of the heavy lifting behind them.
The Falcons also got a strong night from a defense that has quietly become a major part of the story. Even with Jalen Walker, James Pearce Jr., and A.J.
Terrell unavailable, Atlanta kept the Packers from finding much rhythm. The Falcons entered the game with the league’s No. 1 rushing defense at 63.0 yards per game, allowed only 12 rushing yards in the first half, and finished by giving up just 17.
Third down was another problem for Green Bay. At one point in the third quarter, the Packers were 2 of 8 on third down before finally converting, drawing a sarcastic cheer from the home crowd. The drive still died three plays later on a missed third-and-11.
There were some quieter contributors who made a difference too. Reserve cornerback CJ Henderson and edge rusher Za’Darius Smith gave Atlanta useful minutes.
Billy Bowman Jr. also made his return at the right time with A.J. Terrell on injured reserve.
Bowman plays nickel rather than outside corner, but his presence gave defensive coordinator Brian Ulbrich more flexibility. Bowman made that felt with a key pass breakup late in the first quarter.
Zach Harrison provided one of the game’s biggest swings. The Falcons waived him in August, then brought him back to the practice squad before re-signing him to the 53-man roster this week. He responded by blocking a field goal late in the second quarter to keep Atlanta in front 10-7.
For a team that had looked shaky through the first two weeks, this was the kind of win that can change the mood quickly. The Falcons didn’t need Penix to carry them. They just needed him to look like a competent NFL quarterback, and they got that along with a dominant run game and a defense that handled its business.
Atlanta is still 1-2, but the path is clear now. The Falcons have 11 days off before a Monday Night showdown with the New Orleans Saints. A win there would get them back to 2-2 and make the opening two weeks feel a lot farther away.
In Other News...
Al Michaels Turned A Falcons Broadcast Into A Michael Penix Joke
Al Michaels had a brief but noticeable slip during Thursday nights Falcons-Packer matchup, and it landed in a place Atlanta fans know well: around Michael Penix Jr.s college path. While talking about the quarterback on the broadcast, Michaels mistakenly said Penix spent two years at Oregon after starting at Indiana, before quickly correcting himself and noting that Penix actually played at Washington instead.
The correction mattered because Washington is a rival of Oregon, and the mix-up did not go unnoticed. Fans immediately lit into the error on social media, turning a simple broadcast miss into another talking point around Penix, who has already been under a brighter spotlight as Atlantas quarterback situation continues to draw scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Fans Will Love How Stefanski Closed Out Green Bay
Kevin Stefanskis late decision against Green Bay fit the kind of aggressive edge Falcons fans have been waiting to see. With Atlanta sitting on a comfortable lead, he opted to go for two instead of settling for the extra point, pushing the margin to 21 and making the math even tougher on the Packers in the final stretch.
It was a fitting cap to a strong all-around afternoon for Atlanta, with Bijan Robinson powering the ground game for 194 yards and two touchdowns and Michael Penix Jr. adding 256 passing yards and a score. The choice also showed clear awareness of what Jordan Love could still theoretically do, but it left Green Bay needing a very specific sequence it could no longer realistically put together. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Penix Jr. Already Put Falcons Fans On Edge In Debut
Michael Penix Jr. stepped into the Falcons starting quarterback job in their 2026 season debut on Thursday night against the Packers, and the opening minutes gave Atlanta fans plenty to feel all at once. Penix was intercepted on the first drive, but the Falcons settled in quickly enough to answer Green Bays early touchdown pass from Jordan Love, with Bijan Robinson sparking the offense on a 55-yard run and later finding the end zone on the ground.
Atlantas response turned the mood in the building fast, especially once Penix connected with Austin Hooper for a touchdown pass and the Falcons pushed out to a 17-7 lead late in the second quarter. For a quarterback making his first start, the early turnover was the kind of jolt that can linger, but the way the Falcons steadied themselves around him suggested this debut was going to be watched closely all night. [Read more 🡒]