I’m here to give you solace. That’s my job as the highlight reel guy here at The Falcoholic. But today, I’m going to be honest, it’s going to be a difficult task. Five straight losses, essentially kicked
out of the playoff picture before Toyotathon begins, swept by the Carolina Panthers for the first time since 2013, and potentially lost both the young, developing quarterback and top ten receiver to injury. This is a new low for the Raheem Morris era of Falcons football. Everyone should be calling for Morris and General Manager Terry Fontenot’s head as they exit the stadium. But for just a few short moments, I ask you to remember that this Falcons team had a great first half full of reasons to be excited about the future of this organization. From the play of Drake London and Bijan Robinson to the insane effort the defense did put together before they ran out of gas.
It won’t change anything, and it shouldn’t, but I am asking you to enjoy the good times, not because the Falcons are anything to smile about, but because you deserve something to smile about despite them.
Drake London continues to shine early
The first drive was a complete dud, but there was a clear reason why: They didn’t find Drake London. The Falcons mediated that problem by finding London on two straight throws, combining for 71 yards.
Over the past two weeks, London ties Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the most receiving yards. London has immediately gotten back to showing off why he’s one of the best receivers in the NFL.
Sidenote: London needs two touchdowns to tie Andre Rison for the most receiving touchdowns in a three-game span (6).
Bijan Robinson refuses to be denied to tie the game
When you think of Bijan Robinson, you think of the great jukes, the patience, the finesse. We don’t talk enough about his strength, so now and again, Bijan reminds us that strength is a strength in his game too.
Welcome Back, Billy Bowman!
First things first, we hope that Bryce Young is okay and that he returns to this game.
That being said, what a way to make your presence known in a football game by Billy Bowman.
The Panthers’ offense had been on a roll in the first quarter, and with one fell swoop, Bowman and this Falcons pass rush put an immediate stop to it.
Between Bowman and James Pearce, Jr., the Falcons rookies have combined for two early sacks to keep this Panthers offense out of rhythm.
Bijan Robinson finds paydirt for the second time
There were a couple of weeks where Bijan went dormant. He’s had four straight weeks where he didn’t even hit 100 yards from scrimmage, let alone rushing. With that, Robinson hasn’t been able to find the end zone, not finding the end zone in almost a month.
Today, Robinson has two touchdowns and 66 total scrimmage yards with over 8 minutes to go in the half.
It’s Bijan’s first multi-touchdown game of the season, and it doesn’t look like he’s close to being done.
Sidenote:
Drake London goes over 100 receiving yards…again
London has made his presence felt yet again as he gets over 100 yards for a third-straight game. With the feat, he joins Calvin Ridley, Terance Mathis, Andre Rison, and Julio Jones as the only Falcons who have three or more such games.
Tyler Allgeier puts the Falcons up two touchdowns
Allgeier makes it three rushing touchdowns for the Falcons as he puts the exclamation point on a much-needed first half for the Falcons’ offense.
Atlanta’s three rushing touchdowns are the first for this season, and only the third time it’s occurred with the Bijan-Allgeier combination.
Sidenote: Atlanta finished the half with 257 total offensive yards. Here are the total offensive yard totals since their week four win against the Buffalo Bills:
- 292 vs. San Francisco
- 213 vs. Miami (Kirk Cousins)
- 288 vs. New England
- 290 vs. Indianapolis
Kaden Elliss stuffs Bryce Young on 4th Down
After a truly Falcons-like defensive sequence, where Bryce Young carved the Falcons on the way to a key touchdown, Natrone Brooks, the beneficiary of over 55 yards in coverage, including the Xavier Legette touchdown, fumbles the ensuing kickoff return.
So, needless to say, it looked like it was going to be an embarrassing sequence to give the Carolina Panthers their first sweep of the Falcons since 2013.
Not on Kaden Elliss’ watch.
Falcons defensive front forces unusual turnover on downs
This second half has been a slog for Falcons fans…the offense has been unwatchable without Penix in, and special teams haven’t been much better.
But there’s no better feeling than it being a fourth and short, and your defensive line completely overpowers the opponent’s offensive line, and that’s exactly what happened today.
LaCale London and the Falcons’ defensive front imposed their will on the Panthers on 4th-and-1, forcing one of the offensive linemen to step on Bryce Young and force the turnover on downs.
Other Notables
- The 2025 Atlanta Falcons added five more sacks to the tally, becoming the first defense in franchise history to secure five or more sacks in three straight games.
- Ronnie Harrison, Jr. was all over the field, racking up 11 total tackles, including a sack and a TFL. He also added a PBU and two quarterback hits to go with it. We should probably play him more.
- James Pearce, Jr., Billy Bowman, and Jalon Walker all got pressure on Bryce Young today, while Xavier Watts made a key play toward the end of the half to force Carolina to kick a field goal.
- Bijan Robinson did eclipse the 100-yard mark on the ground, finishing with 104 rushing yards on 23 carries.
- Despite leaving early, Penix’s 112.2 passer rating will be the second-highest mark of his career, trailing only his 313-yard performance against the Washington Commanders in week four.
