Bijan Robinson’s 194 rushing yards and two touchdowns helped the Atlanta Falcons overcome the Green Bay Packers 35-14 for their first victory of the year.
The Green Bay Packers had a thin lineup due to injuries going into Thursday Nite Football in Week 3. Javon Hargrave, a seasoned defensive lineman, was the only one of the two dubious players to clear concussion protocol and play against the Atlanta Falcons. Not to mention the four players who were disqualified. It was difficult to overlook this gap. The Falcons, who had not yet found the end zone in their previous games, defeated the Packers 35–14. After missing the first two weeks, Michael Penix Jr. made a comeback to Atlanta. Bijan Robinson, a running back and one of the most reliable weapons, once again demonstrated why he was named to the first team of the AP All-Pro. He ran for 194 yards and scored two touchdowns. After halftime, the Falcons recorded 139 running yards while limiting the Packers to just 12 yards, the lowest total by any team since 2007. This should make Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski proud.
1st Quarter
When Michael Penix Jr. returned, Green Bay gave him a lavish welcome. Just under two minutes into the first quarter, he was picked off on second and ten. Nevertheless, the Packers completed the drive with a punt after failing to convert the turnover into anything significant.
Linebackers Zaire Franklin and Brandon Cox stopped Bijan Robinson for a one-yard loss. Then, when WR Matthew Golden grabbed a 45-yard long pass from Jordan Love, Green Bay seemed to settle into a rhythm. Later, at 5:13, Love gave WR Christian Watson a 4-yard touchdown pass.
As Penix Jr. suffered some severe blows, his issues continued to worsen. After Lukas Van Ness forced an incomplete pass, Cox hit him again and received a 15-yard penalty for roughing the passer.
The Falcons eventually scored their first touchdown after Bijan Robinson broke away for a 55-yard run. Love finished the first quarter with a 9-yard pass to tight end Tucker Kraft.
2nd Quarter
Zachariah Branch, a wide receiver, received a 7-yard pass to start the second quarter. Then, on two of the following four possessions, Penix Jr. and Robinson combined for 20-yard rushes.
At first, it was decided that Jordan Love had fumbled after being sacked by Dorian Deablo, and Atlanta had recovered the ball. Nevertheless, the decision was reversed during a replay review, and the play was deemed an incomplete pass on third and nine.
The Falcons subsequently took a 10-7 lead thanks to a 44-yard field goal from Atlanta kicker Nick Folk.
Zachariah Branch, a wide receiver, received a 7-yard pass to start the second quarter. Jordan Love’s deep pass to Malik Golden was unsuccessful following Folk’s 57-yard kickoff, although Atlanta was called for defensive pass interference. The play was eliminated when Green Bay was given a new set of downs due to the 34-yard penalty.
Penix Jr. connected with Drake London for gains of 20 and 16 yards following two unsuccessful attempts and a field goal blocked by Zach Harrison, a defensive lineman for the Falcons. After that, Robinson placed Atlanta in position to score with rushes of 10 and 6 yards. After a few drives, tight end Austin Hooper scored a 5-yard touchdown.
By the conclusion of the first half, the Falcons had six red-zone drives and converted two of them.
Bijan Robinson also developed greater rhythm during the second quarter. He scored one running touchdown and 111 rushing yards on 15 carries at the half. Robinson had more over 100 rushing yards in his 31st career game.
3rd Quarter
Nick Folk kicked 60 yards to start the quarter. The primary highlight of the first drive was only a 22-yard pass from Jordan Love to Christian Watson, which infuriated Green Bay supporters who wanted their team to win.
Neither was Bijan Robinson slowing down. At 9:31, he ran 31 yards on 2nd and 4 to move Atlanta closer to the end zone. A 16-yard pass from Penix Jr. to Drake London increased the likelihood of a score. RB Brian Robinson Jr. scored on a 7-yard touchdown run just two plays later. Folk finished the drive by adding the extra point.
Jordan Love seemed to lose some of his flow following the touchdown. In addition to a string of unsuccessful passes, DE Cameron Thomas sacked him for the first time during the game. Additionally, it was Love’s seventh sack of the year.
4th Quarter
Penix Jr. seems to have regained his confidence by the fourth quarter. He gave Drake London a 68-yard pass to start the period. Atlanta still faced third-and-23, so another 16-yard pass to London didn’t really change much. But Folk kept up his impressive play with a 31-yard field goal.
Love struggled with a few missed throws after the kickoff, but he soon made amends with a 34-yard touchdown to Watson. The Packers quarterback eventually found the end zone with a 15-yard touchdown ball to Golden after finding his groove and completing passes of 10 and 11 yards.
Following Robinson’s three 4-yard rushes, Penix Jr. sent Drake London a 40-yard pass. Bijan Robinson added his second touchdown of the evening with a 2-yard touchdown run to complete the drive.
Later, Green Bay moved the ball to Golden with a 20-yard pass, but Atlanta won thanks to a late-game interception by Falcons safety Xavier Watts on second-and-goal with 1:17 remaining in the game.