ATLANTA — Michael Penix Jr. made his “Monday Night time Soccer” debut and the consequence was every part the Atlanta Falcons may have wished.
Penix, together with unbelievable performances by operating again Bijan Robinson and vast receiver Drake London, led the Falcons to a 24-14 win over the Buffalo Payments at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Penix was 20-of-32 for 250 yards and a landing. Robinson had an 81-yard landing run as a part of 238 scrimmage yards, the second-highest single-game whole this season within the NFL. London had 10 catches for 158 yards and a landing.
The Falcons at the moment are 3-2, with the three victories over groups that had been within the playoffs final season: the Payments, Washington Commanders and Minnesota Vikings.
“It confirmed that we’re one of many ones,” Penix stated of Monday’s win. “This workforce is absolutely good. This workforce is absolutely legit.”
The Falcons haven’t made the playoffs nor had a profitable document since 2017.
“There is no such thing as a secret,” Falcons second-year coach Raheem Morris stated. “We wish to be a playoff group. We wish to have the ability to go compete in these varieties of video games and we performed one tonight and there’s going to be no secret. No person goes to shrink back from these moments. We’ve obtained to go do it, however these are the moments you need. These are the moments you attempt for.
“These are the belongings you dream about from a training standpoint, a enjoying standpoint, an possession standpoint — all of these issues we wish to be part of and I feel that was simply one thing that we wished to go on the market present tonight.”
Pretty much as good because the offense seemed, the protection might need been higher. The Falcons blitzed Payments quarterback Josh Allen continually — 71% of the time within the second half – and pressured him on 47.1% of his dropbacks, per ESPN Analysis. The Falcons lead the league in yards allowed per recreation (253.4) and are second within the NFL in yards gained per recreation (378.8).
Robinson got here in main the league in yards from scrimmage per recreation (146). He’s now solely the second participant to achieve 450 dashing yards and 300 receiving yards by way of 5 video games in NFL historical past, becoming a member of Thurman Thomas in 1991, per ESPN Analysis.
“He’s the most effective participant in soccer,” Morris stated of Robinson. “I’ve stated it a number of occasions, I can’t say it sufficient. You may at all times have your decide. You may at all times go on the market and determine who you wish to vote for, however in my view, he’s the most effective participant in soccer.”
Penix stated the Falcons’ offense nonetheless has but to indicate its potential. Atlanta led 21-7 at halftime and scored solely three factors within the second half.
“I really feel like we now have extra within the tank and for us to go on the market and win that soccer recreation with the second half like that, I really feel like we had a giant lull,” Penix stated. “I really feel like it’ll be a scary sight every time we determine it out and all play collectively and play a full recreation and never only one good half.”