The Atlanta Falcons can’t make it pretty and they can’t make it easy, sure, but against the Buffalo Bills neither of those things are really possible. What the Falcons did do was win, by ten points, against one of the AFC’s juggernauts. It was, on balance, a hugely impressive effort and a needed win for a team that suddenly looks like the real deal.
Atlanta’s defense was smothering. With Buffalo losing players left and right, the job got a little easier, but pressure allowed the Falcons to keep Josh
Allen off balance, force turnovers, and stall promising drives. On offense, Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London were brilliant in the first half, Bijan Robinson was brilliant throughout, and Tyler Allgeier played the closer role and human bulldozer exceptionally well. The result was a hard-fought 24-14 win.
Yes, the Falcons had a field goal blocked, Penix tried and failed to throw multiple interceptions, and there were lapses in all three phases. When you can do all that and still win by ten points against a team that came into this game 4-1, has an obvious MVP candidate, and plenty of talent, you’re cooking. The Falcons now just need to keep stringing these wins together and see where it takes them.
Here’s the drive-by-drive recap of the game you just watched.
1st Quarter
The Falcons got the ball first, with Jamal Agnew making it to the 30 on the return. Bijan Robinson’s first carry went for a few yards, but he coughed it up and the Bills recovered, with an offsides on Buffalo saving Atlanta. Then Michael Penix Jr. hit Drake London for a nice gain. Bijan then picked up a couple of yards. Penix hit London again for 10 yards and a first. An end-around to Robinson then got seven yards, and then a Tyler Allgeier carry got excellent blocking and he did the rest, rumbling for a touchdown. 7-0 Falcons.
The Bills return got to the 27. Josh Allen had tons of time and lofted it downfield for 46 yards, with Joshua Palmer working against Mike Hughes. A James Cook carry went for three yards, and then Allen scrambled for a first down. Cook then took it a yard. A screen pass to Khalil Shakir went for seven yards or so, but it was called back owing to holding. Allen tried to scramble again but was slowed by Divine Deablo after five yards, with David Onyemata getting him. Then Allen found a diving Dawson Knox in the end zone for the touchdown. 7-7 tie.
Agnew got it back to the 25 before he was blown up. A lot of motion turned into a false start. On second down, Penix threw a rushed, low ball to a sliding London, who caught it for two yards. Pressure then got home and Penix threw it out of bounds on second down. Penix then got away from pressure but ran right into a defender for no gain. Punt, and the Bills got it back to the 26.
A pass to Dawson Knox was broken up by Divine Deablo. Allen tried to scramble away and Arnold Ebiketie got him for a small loss. With the blitz coming, Allen was able to throw it to the sideline and somehow get Shakir for a first down, but Raheem Morris swiftly challenged and was successful. Punt.
The Falcons got it around the 30 and Tyler Allgeier went nowhere on first down. Penix then fired one to Bijan for seven yards. Penix then went hunting for a flag on a ball to Kyle Pitts and got it. A false start on Pitts followed. Bijan’s carry went seven yards, and his next one was stopped after just a yard. Then Penix hit London for a first down, and Bijan got loose for almost 20 yards and another first down. Bijan got a yard. On second down, Penix tried Pitts but it didn’t work out. Penix then fired one in to London, who reached across the plane for the touchdown. 14-7 Falcons.
Cook was stopped for no gain.
2nd Quarter
A.J. Terrell then broke up the ball intended for Josh Palmer. Shakir then got away from a couple of would-be tacklers for a first down. Then Allen fired one in to Palmer for a first down, working against Dee Alford, and a defensive holding penalty was declined. Cook got a yard on the next carry. Allen tried to escape from pressure but Ruke Orhorhoro got him after David Onyemata slowed him down for a sack. The Falcons then brought the house and Dee Alford and Divine Deablo got Allen for a sack and a huge loss. Punt.
The Bills got a big sack on Penix, but an offsides on the Bills wiped that out. On the next play, Bijan Robinson got loose, stumbled his way out of a sideline tackle attempt, and took it 81 yards for a touchdown. 21-7 Falcons.
Jalon Walker made a nice special teams tackle. James Cook then took it for six yards, and then Cook picked up 15 and a first down. Cook was then tackled by Xavier Watts after a yard. Then Allen had a ton of time but no one open, and was able to rumble for about eight yards before Kaden Elliss got him. Allen then dirted it under pressure. A good bounce on the punt led to the Falcons getting it at the five yard line.
Bijan took it out of the danger zone with a four yard run, following that up with a five yard carry. A direct snap sneak to Feleipe Franks got the first down. Then Penix hit London over the middle for another big gain. Penix then picked up eight yards after not finding anyone open downfield. Allgeier was then tripped up for no gain. Penix then rolled out and hit Pitts for a first down. Bijan then got a couple of yards on the end-around. Penix then missed Robinson on the sideline. Penix under pressure did hit Bijan for six yards despite the ball being hit as he threw, making it fourth and a few. The fourth down passing play to Casey Washington was broken up to end the drive.
Allen hit Keon Coleman for six yards on first down. Allen then tried one low but Elijah Moore wasn’t able to bring it in, a ruling that was upheld on review. On third down, a low throw was broken up by A.J. Terrell. Punt.
London grabbed the first down pass for nine yards. Under pressure, Penix threw it away on second down. A first down for Bijan followed. A deep shot from Penix to Washington got broken up. Penix then simply missed London on a sideline shot. Punt.
Then Dee Alford picked off Josh Allen on the very next play, giving Atlanta one more shot. Penix hit London for nine yards, and then got him again as London got loose and nearly scored…but ended up out of bounds at the one yard line as time expired.
3rd Quarter
The Bills returner was tackled at the 26. James Cook took it eight yards on first down, and followed that up with another five. Allen then fired one in to Shakir for nine yards. Cook took it two yards for a first down. Allen was then able to find a receiver for seven yards. Under pressure, Allen then hit Ray Davis and just got a first down. Cook then powered his way to a first down. On the next play, Allen hit Davis again, and he ran by defenders en route to a touchdown. 21-14 Falcons.
Agnew was out past the 25. Bijan Robinson took it eight yards on first down, and followed it up with a couple of yards and a first down. Penix then pump faked and was taken down by Ed Oliver for a big loss. A screen to Kyle Pitts went for 10 yards. On third down, Penix tried London but wasn’t close. Punt.
Cook then took it nine yards after slipping a couple of tackles, and then managed to plunge ahead for another first. Allen was almost sacked twice and then threw it away, but a holding call on Terrell gave the Bills five yards and a first down. Cook took it five yards, but was tripped up on the next play and lost a yard. Jalon Walker got pressure, but a defensive holding call on Mike Hughes gave the Bills another first down. Thankfully, David Onyemata followed that up with a sack. A quick pass to Shakir was dropped by Hughes after nine yards. Coleman made a catch two yards short of the first down with Allen under pressure. Allen then flipped it after running a bit, but it didn’t work. Turnover on downs.
Bijan got 11 yards on first down. Robinson was then stopped for a loss of a couple of yards.
4th Quarter
And then Allgeier lost a yard. Penix tried to find Casey Washington and missed, but the Bills got called for pass interference and it gave the Falcons a fresh set of downs. Bijan then caught a short pass for 20 yards. A pitch to Pitts was undone by a stumble for a two yard loss. The next pass was broken up, and then the pass after that slipped out of Penix’s hand. Parker Romo’s field goal try was then blocked.
A quick run went for four yards. Cook was able to cut it outside for another four yards. The Bills tried to rush the handoff, Elijah Moore fumbled it, and they lost four yards with James Pearce Jr. making the play. Punt.
Robinson took it eight yards on first down, but the next handoff was stopped for no gain. Penix then tried a double-covered London and it was broken up, a very unwise throw. Punt.
Allen tried to take off up the middle but Sam Roberts got him. A screen to Taron Johnson went for one yard, with Arnold Ebiketie on the tackle. Allen had time but just underthrew it. Punt, and after a nice Agnew return, a penalty backed Atlanta up. Bijan then caught a swing pass for eight yards. Allgeier then plunged up the middle for three yards and a first down. A false start by Elijah Wilkinson backed Atlanta up. A quick screen pass to Allgeier picked up about six yards. Penix was able to hang in and deliver a sideline pass to Robinson for 23 yards. Another screen deflected a bit to Bijan picked up three yards. Penix then found London with a dart for a first down. Robinson then somehow picked up five yards on a play that might have otherwise been dead, and Allgeier followed that up with another five yards and a first down. Penix then threw another one into traffic that was luckily not an interception. Allgeier then got the edge and galloped for a near first down and stumbled, or he might have had a touchdown. The Bills then jumped offsides, with a big assist from Feleipe Franks. Allgeier was then dropped for a small loss. Allgeier was then stopped again, and then picked up maybe a yard or so on third down as Buffalo burned their final timeout. Parker Romo then hit the 33 yard field goal to make it 24-14 Falcons.
Mike Hughes had beautiful downfield coverage on a first down deep shot. On second down, a short pass and lateral went for a first down. A first down throw followed, but the Falcons sat the receiver down inbounds. Allen then got loose, ran for about 30 yards, and then got out of bounds. Under pressure, Allen then caught his man on the sideline for a first down and a clock stop. Then Allen had his pass tipped by Zach Harrison and it was picked off by DeAngelo Malone. Game over.
