How Did The 0-2 Falcons Beat The Packers? Atlanta’s 35-14 Upset Explained

The Atlanta Falcons looked like a completely different football team Thursday night.

Four days after being embarrassed 34-3 by the Carolina Panthers, the previously winless Falcons went into Lambeau Field and dominated the Green Bay Packers 35-14.

The biggest difference was the return of quarterback Michael Penix Jr., but Atlanta’s turnaround was much bigger than one player.

Bijan Robinson rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns, Drake London produced 194 receiving yards, Penix threw for 256 yards in his first start since tearing his ACL, and Atlanta controlled possession for more than 37 minutes.

The Falcons finished with 498 total yards while holding Green Bay to 328. Atlanta also ran the ball 41 times compared with only nine rushing attempts by the Packers.

The victory improved Atlanta to 1-2 and dropped Green Bay to 1-2. [Packers]

How Did The Falcons Beat The Packers?

Atlanta won by controlling almost every major part of the game after an early Michael Penix interception.

The Falcons:

• Rushed for approximately 240 yards.
• Produced 498 total yards.
• Possessed the ball for 37:05.
• Held Green Bay to only nine rushing attempts.
• Scored 28 of the game’s final 35 points.
• Led 17-7 at halftime and 24-7 after three quarters.
• Got 194 rushing yards from Bijan Robinson.
• Got 194 receiving yards from Drake London.
• Allowed Penix to operate without being sacked.

Atlanta entered the game having scored only 16 total points through its first two games. It more than doubled that total in one night.

How Much Of A Difference Did Michael Penix Jr. Make?

Penix’s return completely changed what Atlanta could do offensively.

He completed 18 of 25 passes for 256 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The interception came almost immediately. Xavier McKinney picked Penix off on Atlanta’s opening possession.

Instead of unraveling, Penix settled down and Atlanta did not turn the ball over again.

The quarterback later found Austin Hooper for a five-yard touchdown with 1:02 remaining in the second quarter, giving Atlanta a 17-7 halftime lead. [Packers]

Penix had not started an NFL game since suffering a season-ending ACL injury on November 16, 2025. Atlanta had used Cooper Rush during its first two games while Penix completed his recovery. [Falcons]

What Did Bijan Robinson Do Against The Packers?

Robinson produced the biggest individual performance of the game.

He carried the ball 29 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 6.7 yards per carry.

He also caught two passes for 19 yards, giving him 213 yards from scrimmage.

Robinson provided Atlanta’s first major momentum-changing play.

Green Bay had taken a 7-0 lead and Atlanta was facing another difficult possession when Robinson broke through the Packers defense for a 55-yard run.

Two plays later he scored from three yards out to tie the game. [Packers]

He later scored a two-yard touchdown with 3:35 remaining in the fourth quarter to put Atlanta ahead 33-14 before Penix completed a two-point conversion to Chris Blair.

Why Was Bijan Robinson’s Performance So Surprising?

Green Bay entered Thursday with one of the NFL’s best run defenses.

The Packers had allowed only 174 rushing yards through their first two games and were giving up just 2.85 yards per carry, the second-best mark in the league.

Running backs had produced only two explosive runs against Green Bay during those games. [Packers]

Robinson blew those numbers apart.

His 55-yard first-quarter run alone was almost one-third of the rushing yardage Green Bay had surrendered through its first two games.

Instead of forcing Atlanta into obvious passing situations, the Packers repeatedly found themselves dealing with second-and-manageable and third-and-short situations.

What Did Drake London Do?

Penix’s return also unlocked Drake London.

London caught nine passes for 194 yards on 10 targets.

His biggest play was a 68-yard reception that helped Atlanta continue pulling away in the second half.

The combination of Robinson’s running and London’s downfield production created the fundamental problem Green Bay could not solve.

If the Packers brought defenders closer to the line to contain Robinson, Penix had opportunities to attack downfield. If Green Bay respected London’s ability to stretch the field, Atlanta had lighter defensive boxes for Robinson.

How Did Atlanta Control The Game?

The Falcons possessed the ball for 37 minutes and five seconds.

Green Bay possessed it for only 22:55.

Atlanta’s 41 rushing attempts were particularly important.

The Falcons never had to abandon their offensive plan because they were playing from ahead for virtually the entire second half.

Green Bay experienced the opposite problem. Once the Packers fell behind, they became almost entirely dependent on Jordan Love’s arm.

Why Did The Packers Only Run The Ball Nine Times?

Green Bay was missing starting running back Josh Jacobs and quickly found itself playing from behind.

MarShawn Lloyd led the Packers with only 11 rushing yards on four carries. Kaleb Johnson had six yards on four attempts.

Green Bay finished with approximately 17 rushing yards from its running backs.

Jacobs was unavailable because he remained on the Commissioner’s Exempt List. [Falcons Wire/Yahoo Sports]

The combination of Jacobs’ absence and Atlanta’s lead made Green Bay extremely one-dimensional.

Love attempted 53 passes. Penix attempted only 25.

How Did Jordan Love Play?

Love accumulated respectable passing yardage but had to throw constantly because Green Bay could not establish a running game.

He completed 28 of 53 passes for 312 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Christian Watson caught Green Bay’s first touchdown, and Matthew Golden caught the second.

But the Packers scored only seven points over the middle two quarters while Atlanta turned a 7-7 game into a 24-7 deficit.

Love’s interception came in the final minutes with Green Bay already trailing 35-14, effectively ending the game.

How Did The Falcons Defense Slow Green Bay?

Atlanta accomplished something that had been difficult for the Falcons during the first two weeks: it forced the opposing offense to play on Atlanta’s terms.

Because the Falcons controlled possession and built a two-score lead, Green Bay could not remain balanced.

The Packers had to throw on the majority of their snaps.

Atlanta could therefore focus less on defending the run and more on limiting explosive passes and forcing Love to string together long drives.

Green Bay managed 312 passing yards, but much of that production came while chasing a large deficit.

How Did The Game Change After Green Bay’s Early Interception?

The Packers appeared to have an opportunity to take control immediately.

McKinney intercepted Penix on Atlanta’s first drive and returned possession to Green Bay near midfield.

But the Packers went three-and-out and failed to score off the turnover. [Packers]

That sequence proved important.

Green Bay had an opportunity to turn Penix’s first major mistake after returning from ACL surgery into an early two-score advantage. Instead, the Falcons defense gave the ball back to Penix without allowing any points.

Penix then settled down, and Atlanta eventually scored on five of its next several meaningful possessions.

How Did The Falcons Build Their Lead?

After Green Bay scored first, Atlanta answered with Robinson’s three-yard touchdown.

The Falcons then controlled the middle portion of the game:

• Second quarter: Nick Folk 44-yard field goal — Atlanta 10-7.
• Second quarter: Penix to Austin Hooper for a five-yard touchdown — Atlanta 17-7.
• Third quarter: Brian Robinson Jr. seven-yard touchdown — Atlanta 24-7.
• Fourth quarter: Folk 31-yard field goal — Atlanta 27-7.

Green Bay finally answered with a 15-yard Love touchdown pass to Matthew Golden to make it 27-14 with 8:20 remaining.

Atlanta responded instead of giving Green Bay an opening.

Bijan Robinson scored from two yards out, and Penix hit Chris Blair for a successful two-point conversion to make the score 35-14. [Packers]

How Important Was Atlanta’s Response To Green Bay’s Fourth-Quarter Touchdown?

It was arguably the drive that finished the game.

The Packers cut Atlanta’s lead from 20 points to 13 with more than eight minutes remaining.

A quick defensive stop could have given Green Bay the ball back with enough time to make the game competitive.

Instead, Atlanta went back to Robinson and its running game, moved down the field and scored another touchdown.

The two-point conversion increased the lead to three touchdowns.

That prevented the type of late-game collapse that had become an issue for several NFL teams through the opening weeks of the season.

How Much Did Green Bay’s Injuries Matter?

The Packers were not at full strength.

Most importantly, All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons was unavailable while continuing his recovery from the torn ACL he suffered during the 2025 season. [Yahoo Sports]

Green Bay was also without Jacobs, while the offensive line had already been dealing with injuries entering the short week.

Those absences mattered, particularly when Atlanta ran for more than 200 yards and Penix was not sacked.

But Atlanta was dealing with significant absences of its own, including injuries and suspensions on defense. The result cannot simply be explained by Green Bay’s injury report.

The Falcons still had to execute, and they did so far better than they had during their first two games.

Why Did The Falcons Look So Different From The Panthers Game?

Atlanta’s quarterback play changed the entire structure of the offense.

Cooper Rush had started the first two games while Penix recovered and Tua Tagovailoa dealt with an oblique injury.

Rush completed only 56.4 percent of his passes and threw four interceptions before being benched during the 34-3 loss to Carolina. [Reuters]

Atlanta had not even run an offensive play in the red zone through its first two games.

With Penix back, defenses could no longer crowd the line of scrimmage and focus almost entirely on Robinson.

Penix demonstrated that he could push the ball downfield, London became a major threat again, and Atlanta finally had a balanced offense.

Did Michael Penix Win The Starting Job?

Thursday’s performance gives Atlanta a strong reason to keep Penix in the lineup.

The Falcons had originally named Tagovailoa the Week 1 starter after a preseason competition, but his oblique injury prevented him from playing.

Penix was still completing his ACL rehabilitation at the time.

His first start of 2026 produced by far Atlanta’s best offensive performance of the season.

The Falcons have not necessarily announced their quarterback plan for every remaining game, but Penix’s performance against Green Bay makes it difficult to move away from him while he is healthy.

What Does The Falcons Win Mean?

Atlanta avoided an 0-3 start and improved to 1-2.

More importantly, the Falcons finally showed what their offense can look like with their core pieces functioning together.

Penix, Robinson and London accounted for the overwhelming majority of Atlanta’s offensive production.

The performance also demonstrated that Atlanta’s first two games may not be representative of the offense it can field with Penix healthy.

Green Bay, meanwhile, falls to 1-2 after needing overtime to beat the Jets in Week 2.

The Packers now have significant questions about their run defense, offensive balance and ability to compensate for several important missing players.

Falcons Vs. Packers FAQ

What was the Falcons-Packers score?

Atlanta defeated Green Bay 35-14 at Lambeau Field on September 24, 2026. [Packers]

What was the Falcons’ record before the game?

Atlanta entered Thursday Night Football at 0-2 after losses to Pittsburgh and Carolina.

How many yards did Bijan Robinson have?

Robinson rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries and added 19 receiving yards for 213 yards from scrimmage.

How many yards did Drake London have?

London caught nine passes for 194 yards, including a 68-yard reception.

How did Michael Penix Jr. play?

Penix completed 18 of 25 passes for 256 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his first start since tearing his ACL in November 2025.

Why didn’t Green Bay run the ball?

Starting running back Josh Jacobs was unavailable, and Green Bay fell behind by multiple scores. The Packers finished with only nine rushing attempts.

Was Micah Parsons playing?

No. Parsons remained out while recovering from the torn ACL he suffered during the 2025 season. [Yahoo Sports]

How many yards did Atlanta have?

The Falcons finished with 498 total yards compared with 328 for Green Bay.

What is Atlanta’s record now?

The Falcons improved to 1-2. The Packers also fell to 1-2.

What was the biggest reason Atlanta won?

The combination of Penix’s efficient passing and Robinson’s dominant rushing performance prevented Green Bay from taking away either part of Atlanta’s offense. The Falcons controlled possession, created explosive plays and forced Green Bay into a pass-heavy comeback attempt for most of the second half.