The Falcons are heading to Green Bay with plenty to clean up and not much margin for error. Their Thursday night meeting with the Packers opens a stretch of three straight prime-time games, and it comes after Atlanta’s Week 2 collapse against Carolina left the team searching for its first win of the Kevin Stefanski era.
That loss was as ugly as it gets. The Panthers rolled through Atlanta’s home opener, forced five turnovers and smothered an offense that has looked lost for two straight weeks. Through two games, the Falcons are still the only NFL team that hasn’t reached the red zone, and their team passer rating sits at an NFL-worst 38.2.
There is at least one major change coming. The team said Monday that Michael Penix Jr. will return in Week 3, and Thursday will be his first game since tearing his ACL in Week 11 of last season. He may need time to get his timing back, but his return gives this offense a much-needed lift.
The challenge waiting in Green Bay is steep. The Packers’ passing game is coming off a sharp performance against Atlanta’s defense, and Jordan Love will have every reason to like what he sees from the tape. Bryce Young completed 23 of 36 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns in Week 2, and he went 8 of 11 on throws of 10 or more yards for 197 yards and a touchdown.
The Packers also carry a strong home-opening streak into the matchup. They’ve won each of their last 13 home openers, a run that is tied for the longest in NFL history with the 1976-88 Miami Dolphins.
It sets up a difficult road test for Atlanta, with a returning quarterback trying to steady an offense that has yet to find its footing and a Green Bay passing attack waiting to attack.
In Other News...
Bijan Robinson Suddenly Has A Rare Falcons Milestone In Reach
Bijan Robinsons name has already become central to the Falcons offense, and now it sits next to a piece of team history that would be unusual even by Atlanta standards. Amid a run of recent NFL milestones around the league, Robinson has given the Falcons something more immediate to watch in Week 3: the possibility of a running back reaching a franchise mark that has been on the books for years.
It is the kind of threshold that says as much about how the offense is using him as it does about Robinsons own versatility. For Atlanta, the larger point is not just that he is piling up touches, but that he is being put in position to leave a mark in a category not often associated with backs. The record is there, the opportunity is there, and now the Falcons have one more reason to pay close attention when the ball gets near the goal line. [Read more 🡒]
Drake Londons Frustration Puts Falcons Quarterback Decision Under A Spotlight
Drake Londons body language told the story during a recent Falcons game, when the receiver was seen yelling and pointing on the sideline as Atlanta struggled to find a rhythm on offense. It has not been the start London or the Falcons wanted, with the third-year pass catcher working through two games alongside backup quarterbacks and producing 6 receptions for 80 yards.
Michael Penix Jr. looms over the conversation because the pairing has already shown real promise when given time together. In 14 games with Penix, London has piled up 91 catches for 1,286 yards and 9 touchdowns, a track record that makes the quarterback decision feel even more important as Atlanta tries to stabilize its passing game and keep one of its top weapons engaged. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Face An Ugly Reality Entering Packers Matchup
The Falcons head into their Week 3 trip to Green Bay already carrying the kind of concerns that can make a road game feel even longer. The Packers bring the cleaner roster and the steadier quarterback situation, while Atlanta is still trying to find reliable play under center and across the board, two issues that have already shaped the early part of the 2026 season.
For Atlanta, the matchup is less about matching the Packers punch for punch and more about avoiding another lopsided afternoon that deepens the pressure around the team. Green Bay is being forecast to handle this one comfortably, which leaves the Falcons with an ugly reality in front of them and a chance to show some progress in a spot where the margin for error looks thin. [Read more 🡒]