The Atlanta Falcons have gone from a team everyone was side-eyeing to one nobody wants on the schedule.
That turn happened fast. Two weeks ago, the story was about a club trying to survive with shaky quarterback play and an offense that couldn’t get out of its own way. Now, with Michael Penix Jr. back in Week 3, Atlanta looks completely different - and a lot more dangerous.
The biggest change has been the passing game simply existing again. That threat has cracked open the field for Bijan Robinson, who has turned a little room into huge damage.
After another game with more than 140 rushing yards and two touchdowns, he’s up to 339 rushing yards and four scores over the last two weeks. At this point, he looks like the clear front-runner for Offensive Player of the Year.
Penix has made a real difference, too. Working under new head coach Kevin Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, he has looked like a quarterback who belongs.
He’s completing more than 73% of his passes, and aside from a shaky first quarter in his first game back against the Packers, he’s been nearly spotless. He’s getting the ball out on time and avoiding the kinds of mistakes that kill drives.
His 83 QBR is fourth in the league, trailing only Brock Purdy, Caleb Williams, and Dak Prescott.
And the production has come against real opponents in real settings. Atlanta has put up 80 points over the last two weeks on the road in primetime against the Packers and Saints.
That’s impressive no matter how you slice it, especially with Penix playing in just his first two games back from a torn ACL and learning a completely new system. If this is the baseline, the rest of the league has a problem if he gets even more comfortable.
The defense may be even more alarming.
A year ago, the Falcons could get after the passer - they finished second in the league in sacks - but teams could still lean on the run game against them. That weakness has disappeared. Atlanta entered Monday night leading the league in rush defense, giving up fewer than 50 rushing yards per game, and the Saints managed only 50 yards on 19 carries, a 2.6-yard average.
The pressure is coming, too, even if the sack total doesn’t fully show it yet. Atlanta ranks second in pressure rate, which is the better indicator of how much stress a defense is putting on quarterbacks.
What makes that even more striking is how they’re doing it. Last season, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich had to lean heavily on blitzes because the Falcons didn’t have enough juice to win consistently with four rushers.
Atlanta blitzed the second-most in the league. This year, that hasn’t been necessary.
The Falcons are generating all this pressure while blitzing the 30th-most, and they’re doing it without Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr. Pearce is also set to return from suspension in a month, which only adds another layer to what this defense could become.
Through four weeks, Atlanta has the kind of profile teams love: a defense that can clamp down and a run game that can bully people. The Falcons are outrushing opponents by more than 130 yards per game, and they spent the first two weeks with a third-string quarterback. Now they’re getting more than competent play under center, and the whole operation looks dangerous.
The numbers week to week can fool you. This doesn’t feel like one of those cases.
The Falcons aren’t just benefiting from mistakes by the other side. They’re forcing the issue physically, and that’s a very different thing.
It’s also why they suddenly look like one of the scariest teams in football.
In Other News...
Falcons Just Added Backfield Depth Fans May Want To Track
The Falcons added another name to the backfield mix this week, signing running back Jam Miller to the practice squad while moving on from Cash Jones to clear the roster spot. It is the kind of small transaction that can matter later, especially for a team that keeps an eye on depth at running back throughout the season.
Miller arrives with an unusual backstory for a midseason addition. He was originally drafted by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, but an injury led to his release before the season began. After working his way back, he reportedly stood out in a workout for Atlanta and now gets a chance to show whether that look can turn into something more. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Domecoming Disaster Got Even More Disturbing In The Stands
The Falcons left the Caesars Superdome with a lopsided win, but the day carried a heavier emotional backdrop than a normal rivalry game. The matchup marked 20 years since the first Saints game back after Hurricane Katrina, and instead of a celebratory homecoming, the building turned tense as New Orleans absorbed a 45-24 loss and slid to 1-3 on the season.
The unease in the stands only added to the mood. During the game, a Saints fan fell on the steep steps in the 600 level, though he appeared conscious and was helped by nearby fans, a jarring scene inside a stadium that was already hearing plenty of frustration from the home crowd. The Saints are still winless at home, and after another rough afternoon, the pressure around the team is starting to feel as loud as the disappointment in the seats. [Read more 🡒]
Drake London Said Exactly What Falcons Fans Love About Beating The Saints
The Falcons had the Saints in a familiar spot by halftime, up 24-7 and well in control, but the lead only kept growing from there. By the end of the game, Atlanta had pushed the margin to 31 points, a reminder that this rivalry still carries plenty of edge when the Falcons get rolling.
Drake London was right in the middle of it, finishing with five catches for 96 yards and again looking like one of Michael Penix Jr.'s most reliable targets. He also spoke to the extra motivation behind Atlanta's continued push to score, tying it back to a previous Saints moment involving Jameis Winston, which only added another layer to a win Falcons fans will happily savor. [Read more 🡒]