Falcons Offense Returns to Life in Win Over Washington
ATLANTA (AP) — It took exactly one drive for the Atlanta Falcons to exceed their offensive production from Week 3.
The Falcons bounced back from their anemic showing in a 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers, gaining a season-high 435 yards in a 34-27 victory over the Washington Commanders on Sunday. New kicker Parker Romo, who contributed to the shutout in Charlotte with two missed field goals, capped the opening possession with a 38-yard field goal and Atlanta was off and running.
The Falcons never trailed and evened their record to 2-2 heading into an early bye week. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was sharp throughout, and Bijan Robinson furthered his reputation as one of the league’s best running backs with a career-high 181 yards from scrimmage. The defense held a Commanders team missing quarterback Jayden Daniels and top receiver Terry McLaurin in check for most of the way.
“It puts us in a great mindset,” rookie edge Jalon Walker said. “My goal was to get the team a win and go into the bye week and feel confident. Now we get to roll into Monday night and face the Bills.”
What’s working
The Falcons made two changes after the disaster against the Panthers — they fired wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard and moved offensive coordinator Zac Robinson from the press box to the sideline on game day. It is hard to measure the impact of Hilliard’s dismissal, but Robinson’s move seemed to eliminate the issue of play calls getting in late to Penix. Coach Raheem Morris liked how Robinson could feel the flow of the game and have direct communication, and Penix said he liked talking to Robinson in person after a series.
“To be able to come to the sideline and to hear from him exactly what he’s seeing and the way he wants to set up the plays the next drive is awesome,” Penix said. “I feel like it was definitely a good thing for us.”
Penix had a career-high 313 passing yards and the Falcons were 6 for 12 on third down and 1 for 1 on fourth down.
What needs help
The Falcons’ kickoff coverage allowed Luke McCaffrey to average 33.2 yards on six returns, including a 58-yarder that went straight up the middle of the Falcons’ coverage. Washington did not start inside its own 29-yard-line after any kickoff until a holding call pushed it back to the 24-yard-line on the final drive of the game. McCaffrey’s 58-yard return led to a Commanders field goal.
Stock up
Wide receiver Drake London had his first 100-yard game of the season, hauling in eight passes on 10 targets for 110 yards and a touchdown. His previous season high was 55 yards.
When London caught a five-yard pass from Penix in the first quarter, it was Atlanta’s first passing touchdown to a wide receiver or tight end this season. London also made a nice catch on a crucial third-down conversion in the fourth quarter as the Falcons were driving with a seven-point lead that eventually led to a field goal.
“(A win like this) can mean the world to a lot of people,” London said. “It meant the world to me today.”
Stock down
Washington rushed for 6.7 yards per carry, which was the highest allowed by the Falcons through four games and would rank last in the NFL if carried over for the full season. Chris Rodriguez Jr. had a 48-yard gain in the first quarter when he ran through a tackle attempt by rookie safety Xavier Watts. Quarterback Marcus Mariota had a 20-yard scramble and Jacory “Bill” Croskey-Merritt had a 16-yard carry.
Injuries
Wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who missed the season opener with a shoulder injury, left the game in the third quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return. He had one catch for 15 yards. CB Natron Brooks suffered a concussion in the second quarter after returning a kickoff. He walked off under his own power but did not return.
Key stat
Robinson has 10 straight games with at least 90 yards from scrimmage, which is the longest active streak in the NFL.
Next steps
The Falcons are one of four teams that have a bye in Week 5, the earliest bye week of the season. They host the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 13, their first Monday night home game since 2018.
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