The Atlanta Falcons were the laughing stock of the NFL for the first two weeks of the 2026 season, but they looked like an entirely different team with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at QB in Week 3. By the end of their 35-14 win over the Green Bay Packers, the Falcons were the only ones laughing.
Penix was extremely sharp in his return, completing 18/25 pass attempts for 256 yards and a touchdown while helping Atlanta put up 498 total yards of offense. The Falcons quarterback was the key to unlocking the team's previously putrid passing attack.
Nobody benefited more from Penix's return than Drake London. After recording just six catches for 80 yards over the first two games, London went off for an NFL-high 194 receiving yards on nine catches in Week
3.
The Penix-to-London connection is nothing new, though. The former USC wideout has played his best football with Penix at quarterback. London has 53 catches for 845 receiving yards and six total touchdowns in the last seven games that Penix was his starting QB.
In six of those seven games, London went over the 100-yard receiving mark, as you can see below.
Drake London the last seven games with Michael Penix Jr. as his QB:
— Football Forever (@fballforeverhq) September 25, 2026
▫️8 REC, 110 YDS, 1 TD
▫️10 REC, 158 YDS, 1 TD
▫️4 REC, 42 YDS
▫️9 REC, 118 YDS, 3 TD
▫️6 REC, 104 YDS, 1 TD
▫️7 REC, 119 YDS
▫️9 REC, 194 YDS (TNF vs. GB)
A DYNAMIC DUO 🔥 pic.twitter.com/EBBnUu55ex
London received a monster contract extension over the offseason. Even though his career numbers aren't quite up there with the NFL's top wide receivers, London has had a revolving door at quarterback since being drafted in 2022.
After one year with Marcus Mariota as a rookie, London got to play with a combination of Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke in his second year. An injured Kirk Cousins took over in 2024, followed by Penix in 2025. Thus far in 2026, London has already played with three different quarterbacks.
The Falcons offense has elite pieces at running back, wide receiver and tight end, plus they have one of the NFL's top offensive lines. If Penix can stay healthy, London should only continue to put up elite numbers.
In Week 4, the Falcons will face the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football. We'll see if the London-Penix connection can do it again in front of a hostile New Orleans crowd in prime time.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Drake London's production is off the charts with Michael Penix at QB
