Atlanta’s 2-3 start has come with the usual mix of promise and warning signs, but the first month has already made a few things clear. Some of what the Falcons have shown looks real. Some of it looks ready to snap back to earth.
The cleanest place to start is on offense, where the picture has sharpened now that Michael Penix Jr. has had three games to settle in. The opening two losses can be pushed to the side when judging this group, because the version of Atlanta people are looking at now is the one that has started to show its identity.
That identity includes serious talent at the skill spots, and not just from the headliners. Bijan Robinson is still doing Bijan Robinson things, and Drake London has been highly productive since Penix returned. But the deeper layer of the offense is what really stands out.
Brian Robinson Jr. has given Atlanta exactly what it needed as a second back, piling up at least 50 rushing yards in three games. He also scored three touchdowns in the blowout win over the Saints. With the Falcons’ strong interior offensive line in front of him, that kind of steady production should stick.
The receiver room behind London is also starting to matter. Jahan Dotson has put together a solid stretch the past couple of weeks, with 54 receiving yards against New Orleans and Baltimore. That improvement fits with the fact that Penix has only been available for three games; once Dotson had his starting quarterback, the production came with it.
There’s even a path for third-round pick Zachariah Branch to join the party more consistently. His rookie year has been quiet so far, but he delivered a big 23-yard catch on third down in the fourth quarter against the Ravens. He’s a talented player, and his role should only expand as the season moves along.
That offensive depth has shown up in the numbers, too. Atlanta has posted the highest third-down conversion rate in the NFL over the past three weeks, and the Falcons are fourth in time of possession. Those two things usually travel together, and for Atlanta the formula is obvious: Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr. in the backfield, enough weapons to keep defenses honest, and a ground game strong enough to keep drives alive.
That part feels sustainable.
What doesn’t feel nearly as stable is the Falcons’ early run defense dominance. For the first month, Atlanta was posting absurd numbers against the run, allowing just 48.3 rushing yards per game. That was the best mark in football by a wide margin through Week 4.
But the schedule mattered. The first four opponents were all in the bottom half of the league in rushing yards per game, and Green Bay sat dead last.
Baltimore was a very different test, and the Falcons didn’t pass it. The Ravens ran for 208 yards, which was more than Atlanta had allowed in its first four games combined.
The road ahead doesn’t get much kinder. Chicago comes in with the NFL’s best rushing attack, and four of Atlanta’s next five opponents are currently in the top eight in rushing yards. Even with Lamar Jackson out, the Falcons couldn’t stop Baltimore from leaning on the ground game, which makes the next stretch a real proving ground.
That doesn’t mean the run defense is fake. It isn’t. But it does mean Atlanta shouldn’t count on that unit being an impenetrable wall every week.
The opposite side of that coin is the pass defense, which has been the more troubling issue through Week 5. Atlanta’s secondary ranks 27th in the league, and unlike the run defense, this is an area where some improvement looks likely.
A big reason for optimism is reinforcements. A.J.
Terrell is eligible to come off injured reserve in Week 7 against the 49ers after suffering a groin injury in Week 2 against the Panthers. Getting the top cornerback back should help stabilize the back end.
The Falcons should also get a boost from James Pearce Jr., who is working his way back from an eight-game suspension. Pearce led the team with 10.5 sacks as a rookie, and his return should make life easier on opposing quarterbacks. Add in Harold Perkins Jr. continuing to emerge as a versatile playmaker, and this pass defense has a better chance to move in the right direction than it has to keep sitting near the bottom of the league.
In Other News...
Falcons Fans Aren't Ready For Grady Jarrett's Atlanta Return
A familiar face is coming back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Week 6, and this one figures to hit a little differently for Falcons fans. Grady Jarrett spent his first 10 NFL seasons in Atlanta, became one of the defining players of that defense and now is set to line up on the other side as the Chicago Bears make their trip to town.
Jarrett has started every game for Chicago so far and has already been a steady presence up front, which only adds to the intrigue around this matchup. For Atlanta, the focus turns to how its offensive line handles a player who knows the building, the franchise and plenty of the same tendencies from his long run in red and black. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Penix Jr. Is Giving Falcons Fans Real Reason To Believe
Michael Penix Jr. has started to look like the kind of quarterback the Falcons hoped they were getting when they drafted him in 2024. In his third NFL season, and with a new coaching staff building the offense around what he does best, Penix has looked noticeably more comfortable and more decisive, giving Atlanta a passing game that has flashed real life early in 2026.
The results have been encouraging enough to make the Falcons feel like they may finally have found a direction under center, even if it is still early. Penix has shown especially strong touch and confidence pushing the ball downfield, and that kind of growth is exactly why there is reason to believe in the bigger picture, even with parts of his game still waiting to be sharpened. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Are Still Searching For A Secondary Fit Before Game Day
The Falcons kept turning over the back end of their roster this week, parting with safety Jammie Robinson shortly after bringing him onto the active roster. Robinsons recent work in Atlanta had come mostly on special teams, which made the move less about a big defensive shift and more about the team continuing to sort through its depth and matchups in the secondary as game day approaches.
Delarrin Turner-Yell was in for a tryout as well, giving Atlanta another name to weigh while it looks for the right fit behind its regular contributors. The fact that the Falcons are still auditioning safeties this late in the week says plenty about how unsettled those backup spots remain, and how much the team still wants to see before settling on the next move. [Read more 🡒]