Atlanta Falcons Offense Explodes for 34 Points as Penix, London, and Bijan Shine

ATLANTA, Ga – The season is still young, and it would be hard to call it a “must-win,” but this was a big one for the Atlanta Falcons.

Fresh off a disastrous 30-point drubbing by the Carolina Panthers, the Falcons welcomed a former coach and quarterback to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Raheem Morris, a former Dan Quinn assistant from their shared time in Atlanta, felt the urgency of this game.

“You feel an urgent enjoyment to get back on the grass, as opposed to pressure,” Morris said Friday. “When you’re a competitor, you want to go back out there and compete, and when you left last time, you don’t feel like you competed at your top level. You can accept any result if you know you went out there and competed at your top level, and we did not go out there and get that across last week.”

Of those who struggled to reach that level, the offense would be considered a primary culprit.

The group was shut out in Week 3 after struggling to convert in the red zone in Week 2. Second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. looked shaky, no wide receivers or tight ends had caught a touchdown, and the playcalling from the offensive coordinator was accused of being “predictable” by national pundits.

The early-season inconsistency of the offense led to the firing of wide receiver coach Ike Hilliard and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson moving to the field from the coach’s box. The Falcons needed to get better results, and the staff and players knew it.

“When you lose 30-0, urgency better kick in, or none of us are going to be here,” wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud said earlier this week.

Staring down an early-season bye week and the potential of moving to two games under .500, that urgency took on a new gear in Week 4 with the Commanders. They responded with their best offensive day of the season.

The Falcons came out firing in this one, scoring on their first three possessions. Penix looked sharp, converting 10 of his first 12 passes for 138 yards and a touchdown. More importantly, he started pushing the ball down the field – six of those first-half completions were 10+ yard passes and four of those six were for 15+ yards.

Coming into today’s game, Penix was a paltry 11-of-33 on 10+ yard attempts and 1-of-17 on 15+ yard attempts.

That deep ball to Drake, y'all 😮‍💨

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— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 28, 2025

“We were able to exploit some things down the field today. We were able to get open. We were able to throw the ball out there and give them a chance,” Morris said. “These [passes] aren’t open a lot in the NFL, and sometimes you gotta let it go and let Drake [London] make some plays, and he went out there and made them, and so did Mike.”

Wide receiver Drake London scored the first touchdown by a wide receiver or tight end and finished the game with 110 yards on eight catches – he had just 169 yards on 16 catches before today. Kyle Pitts got in on the action in the second half with his first receiving touchdown of the season.

Bijan Robinson, the unit’s lone consistent bright spot this season, crossed the 100 scrimmage-yard mark for the fourth time this season. He delivered a 69-yard reception, a rushing touchdown, and 181 total yards in this game.

“Just find more ways to get him the football,” Morris said about the performance of Robinson and what he means to this team. “He’s an unbelievable football player. I keep saying it, and he keeps going out there and proving it. I’m glad he’s on our team.”

Bijan Robinson has accounted for 100+ scrimmage yards in all four of the #Falcons games this season. Dude is special
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— Garrett Chapman (@gchapatl) September 28, 2025

Tyler Allgeier also added a touchdown run of his own.

The performance was far from perfect, with drops being an issue at times in this game and Penix throwing an ugly interception in the second half, but the Falcons' offense seemed to find its legs at this critical juncture.

The presence of Robinson down on the sideline appeared to make a positive impact on this game. His play calls seemed to come in faster, and communication seemed to be more consistent. London said it was good to see his face, Penix said it gave him confidence, and the offense got back to where they expect themselves to be.

“To be able to hear him tell me, and not coming from other coaches, but hear it coming from him, the guy who’s actually calling the play, I feel like that was definitely big-time,” Penix said after the game. “I feel like it was great.”

They finished the game with 34 points and 435 total yards, their highest marks of the season, as all their stars got involved in the action. Penix finished his day completing 20-of-26 passes for a career-high 313 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. London, Robinson, and Pitts all had 70 or more yards receiving. The running backs combined for 126 yards rushing.

More important than anything, the Falcons won.

Despite the struggles in Carolina, this unit showed exactly what it is capable of today, and nothing better exemplifies that than the group’s final offensive possession.

Washington had just cut the lead to seven, and the Falcons had a chance to put the game out of reach. Penix delivered with a 14-play drive that went 69 yards and drained 6:51 off the clock. The young quarterback was 3-for-3 on third downs during that possession, and he ran for another first down. Atlanta finished the drive off with a Parker Romo field goal, extending the lead to 10 with under two minutes to play.

Bad days happen, and last week was a bad day. Performances like this happen, too, and they serve as a fantastic reminder of what this offense can be capable of.

Consistency remains a challenge for the young quarterback and this offense, but today was the response the Falcons – and their fans – desperately needed.