The Atlanta Falcons put 45 points on the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football, winning 45-24, and Michael Penix Jr. was about as calm as a quarterback can be after a night like that. As first reported by ClutchPoints, Penix went 15-for-20 for 223 yards and a touchdown with zero interceptions, then kept his postgame review simple: Atlanta got the results it wanted and the game went pretty well.
The heavy lifting came on the ground. Bijan Robinson ran for 145 yards and two touchdowns, and New Orleans never found an answer. It got ugly enough that Saints QB Tyler Shough heard boos during the blowout.
The IAHHM Take
Since Penix returned from injury, Atlanta has won two straight and climbed back to 2-2 after a rough start. This is the version of the Falcons people were sold on: a lefty who takes what the defense gives him and a running back who can take over a whole game.
Fifteen completions won’t trend on the timeline, but zero turnovers on a 45-point night is winning football. Penix doesn’t have to be a hero when Bijan is cooking like this. He has to be on time and careful with the ball, and on Monday he was both.
Carolina fans should be paying attention too. The Panthers are also 2-2 heading into their bye after Bryce Young and company knocked off the Lions. Two NFC South rivals finding their footing at the same time makes the rest of this season a lot more interesting.
What’s Next
Atlanta stays in prime time. Next up is another Monday night, this time against the 3-1 Baltimore Ravens. That’s a real measuring-stick game for a team that’s still figuring out who it is.
So what is it: the start of a real Falcons run, or did the Saints just make it look easy? Let us know.
Source: ClutchPoints
