Coming off an embarrassing 30-0 shutout loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Falcons responded on Sunday with a 34 27 win over the Washington Commanders, racking up a season high 435 yards and never once trailing.
In fact, it took just one drive for Atlanta to surpass its offensive production from Week 3. Now the question lingers: was this a real fix, or just a one week rebound against a shorthanded Washington squad?
The turnaround didn’t happen by accident. After the Panthers game, the Falcons fired wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard and moved offensive coordinator Zac Robinson from the booth to the sideline.
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That small adjustment may have made a big difference. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said he loved being able to talk directly to Robinson between series, and the results were obvious: Penix posted a career high 313 passing yards and the Falcons converted 50% of their third downs.
Head coach Raheem Morris admitted he liked the “flow” Robinson brought to the game from the sideline, a visible shift from the late play calls that bogged the offense down in Week 3.
If the Falcons’ offense needed a spark, Bijan Robinson lit the match. The second year running back piled up a career high 181 yards from scrimmage and extended his streak of 10 straight games with at least 90 scrimmage yards—the longest active run in the NFL.
Wideout Drake London finally broke through as well, recording his first 100 yard game of the year with eight catches, a touchdown, and several key third down conversions. It was also Atlanta’s first passing TD of the season to a receiver or tight end, a long overdue milestone.
“It meant the world to me today,” London said.
As good as the offense looked, the defense still has questions to answer.
Despite being without Jayden Daniels and WR1 Terry McLaurin, Washington dropped 27 points. On top of that, they averaged 6.7 yards per carry in the run game, including a 48 yard run by Chris Rodriguez Jr. and a 20 yard scramble from former Falcon Marcus Mariota.
Special teams weren’t much better. Washington’s Luke McCaffrey averaged 33.2 yards on kick returns, including a 58 yarder right up the middle that set up a field goal.
Injuries also cast a shadow. Wide receiver Darnell Mooney left and didn't return due to a hamstring issue, and cornerback Natrone Brooks suffered a concussion.
The win evens Atlanta’s record at 2-2 heading into an early bye week. It also sets up a Monday night showdown against the Buffalo Bills on Oct. 13, the Falcons’ first home Monday night game since 2018.
For now, the locker room is leaning toward “formula” over “fluke.”
Rookie edge rusher Jalon Walker put it bluntly: “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.”
But against a healthier, more dangerous opponent in Week 6, Atlanta will need more than a one-week surge to prove this offense has truly turned the corner.