ClutchPoints
The Atlanta Falcons have been one of the harder teams to get a read on so far this NFL season, but now their spot in the NFC hierarchy is becoming clearer.
A lot of the uncertainty about the Falcons stems from one result: a stunning 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers back in Week 3. However, Raheem Morris and company have built a pretty impressive resume outside of that loss on their way to a 3-2 record through six weeks.
The Falcons opened the year with a close loss to the Buccaneers, a defeat that has aged extremely well as Tampa Bay has raced out to a 5-1 start and has Baker Mayfield playing at an MVP level. Atlanta also picked up wins over the Minnesota Vikings and the Washington Commanders sandwiched around that Panthers loss before a bye in Week 5.
In Week 6, the Falcons put on a show and played some of their best football on a national stage against a Super Bowl contender. They took down the Buffalo Bills 24-14 on Monday Night Football, raising eyebrows around the league and solidifying themselves as a playoff contender.
After that win, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said the result proves this Atlanta team is “legit” as a playoff contender, and Monday night certainly backed that up. Here’s why the second-year signal caller is right and this Falcons team will be one to watch throughout the rest of the season.
Penix is playing under the microscope as a young quarterback as everyone tries to figure out what he is and whether he can be the guy long-term in Atlanta. The jury is still out on that, but the early returns are positive even if there are some inconsistencies.
Zac Robinson has gotten some of the best out of Kyle Pitts this season, and Drake London had a huge game on Monday night and looks like a true No. 1 receiver in this offense. But none of that is possible without the running game, which has become the foundation of this Atlanta attack when it is clicking on all cylinders.
Not only is Bijan Robinson arguably the best running back in the NFL at this point, especially with both Saquon Barkley and Derrick Henry struggling to start this season, but the Falcons have the perfect complement to him in Tyler Allgeier. Atlanta’s wide zone scheme is one of the hardest running games to stop in football, and the numbers bear that out through six weeks.
Atlanta leads the league in rushing yards per game at just over 150 yards on the ground per contest. Excluding Week 1, where Tampa Bay stopped the run effectively, Atlanta also has the second-highest EPA per rush behind just the Colts. Robinson put up one of the biggest rushing games of anyone this season against the Bills, racking up 170 yards and a touchdown on just 19 carries.
If the Falcons can keep up that efficiency on the ground,...
