Last Monday, the 2-2 Falcons entered a must-win game at Mercedes Benz Stadium against reigning MVP Josh Allen’s Bills. The Bills, fresh off an upset defeat to the New England Patriots, would surely be fired up to get back on track in Atlanta, especially when the rabid “Bills Mafia” was well represented in the stadium. To put the cherry on top, the Falcons, who had already ruled out wide receiver Darnell Mooney to injury, would also be without their slot receiver Ray-Ray McCloud and nickel Billy Bowman Jr. Before kickoff, everything seemed to be trending in favor of Buffalo. (Despite this, they still pulled out the win)
The rest of the NFC South went a combined 5-1 since the Atlanta Falcons had last taken the field in Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season. Notably, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers, both of which having already defeated the Falcons this season, improved their records to 5-1 and 3-3 respectively. As a result, the 2-2 Falcons entered a must-win game at Mercedes Benz Stadium against the Buffalo Bills and reigning MVP Josh Allen. The Bills, fresh off an upset defeat to an upstart New England Patriots team, would be fired up to get back on track in Atlanta. They were also well-represented inside the stadium by the rabid “Bills Mafia.” Surely, the home underdog Falcons wouldn’t send all of them home with a loss. To put the cherry on top, the Falcons, who had already ruled out wide receiver Darnell Mooney to injury, would also be without slot receiver Ray-Ray McCloud and promising nickel Billy Bowman Jr. Even before kickoff, everything seemed to be trending in favor of Buffalo.
It felt that way at the start of the game as well. On the very first play from scrimmage, Falcons star running back Bijan Robinson fumbled and the Bills recovered, setting themselves up with prime field position to take an early lead. However, Buffalo’s Greg Rousseau lined up offside, giving the Falcons a second chance. They took advantage, driving down the field and capping the possession off with a 21-yard rushing touchdown from Tyler Allgeier, earning a 7-0 lead before Allen immediately led the Bills on a six-play, 73-yard drive capped off with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Dawson Knox.
After the teams exchanged punts on their ensuing drives, second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. led the Falcons on a nine-play, 66-yard drive, which ended with a heroic effort from wide receiver Drake London to extend the ball across the goal line for a nine-yard touchdown pass. The Falcons took a 14-7 lead late in the first quarter and never relinquished it, upsetting the Bills 24-14.
London finished the night with 10 catches and 158 yards, including his first-quarter touchdown play. The rising star, now in his fourth NFL season, almost had another score on the final play of the first half after nearly turning a simple slant into a 40-yard touchdown before being tackled at the one-yard line by Taylor Rapp. Bijan Robinson: What more is there to say? The third-year back had undoubtedly the best game of his young career, accumulating 238 all-purpose yards, including an 81-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to put Atlanta up 21-7. Robinson’s efforts earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week Honors.
“He’s talented, man,” said Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris when asked about the Pro Bowl back. “I’m fortunate enough that I get a chance to see him every day, how he prepares, how he works.”
Fellow Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier once again showed his skills as one of the league’s best backup running backs, highlighted by his first-quarter touchdown. After putting together a near-flawless first half performance, Penix and the Falcons offense struggled in the second half. The offense’s second half struggles can be attributed to a lack of wide receiver depth outside of London, with both Mooney and McCloud out. London was Atlanta’s only wide receiver to catch a pass on Monday. Additionally, key offensive tackle Jake Matthews left the game due to an ankle injury near the end of the first half.
“Only three points in the second half. That’s not how we want to play,” Penix explained on Wednesday.
Aside from Robinson’s heroic effort, the story of the night was Atlanta’s defense. After struggling down the stretch against the Marcus Mariota-led Washington Commanders offense in week four, the young Falcons defense kept Josh Allen in check. Allen finished the game 15-for-26 for 180 yards and two scores, a quiet performance when compared to his sky-high standards. The Falcons also sacked Allen four times and intercepted him twice. Dee Alford recorded the first interception near the end of the first half and DeAngelo Malone recorded the next off of a tipped pass by Zach Harrison to put the game away. Alford, in a more limited role than the 2024 season, has already shown vast improvement when he is on the field, posting a coverage grade of 90, per Pro Football Focus.
“He’s a guy that just works so hard. When we got here, I felt like he was discouraged. For him to flip the entire script, it’s been gratifying for me,” said Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich on Alford’s performance.
When Allen tried to scramble and make plays with his legs, the likes of Kaden Ellis, Arnold Ebiketie and Ruke Ohrororo contained him. Rookie edge rushers Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.’s impact on the game may not pop on the stat sheet, but they made their presence known through accumulating pressures, setting the edge and stopping Buffalo’s run game in pivotal moments. Defensive back AJ Terrell had another strong outing, allowing just two catches on four targets for eight yards. Linebacker Divine Deablo once again asserted himself as Atlanta’s best free agent signee this past offseason, recording five total tackles (including a half sack on Allen on a third down blitz) and allowing zero yards in coverage.
When the Falcons announced Jeff Ulbrich’s return as the team’s full-time defensive
coordinator, the move was met with much skepticism from Falcons fans and media alike. The Falcons cast a wide net of candidates during their search, and they hired the one with the closest ties to Raheem Morris and the Falcons organization. After seven consecutive losing seasons and years of a subpar defense, Falcons fans hoped for an outside voice with new ideas. Ulbrich, in turn, has orchestrated an immediate defensive turnaround for the franchise.. This season, Atlanta ranks first in total defense, seventh in points allowed per game, 11th in sacks, third in sack rate and sixth in pressure rate. First-year defensive line coach Nate Ollie also deserves a great deal of credit for the unit’s turnaround. Last season, the Falcons did not record their 10th sack of the season until Week 11, tied for the latest mark in the league. Through just five games in 2025, they already have 14.
Unfortunately, the Falcons were unable to maintain their momentum as they fell to the San Francisco 49ers 10-20 last Sunday. They will look to bounce back against the struggling Miami Dolphins next Sunday, October 26th.
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