ATLANTA — Bijan Robinson put on a show Monday night, rushing for 170 yards and tying his career high with a spectacular 81-yard touchdown run, leading the Atlanta Falcons to a 24-14 victory over the Buffalo Bills at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Robinson’s stellar performance helped the Falcons (3-2) win their second consecutive game, while Michael Penix Jr. also had a strong outing, completing 20 of 32 passes for 250 yards and a touchdown to wide receiver Drake London. London had a monster game, hauling in 10 receptions for 158 yards.
The Bills (4-2), who had been playing well to start the season, fell to their second straight loss despite a solid performance from quarterback Josh Allen, who threw for 180 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions. James Cook contributed 87 yards on the ground, but the Bills were outgained 443-291 and couldn’t recover after falling behind.
The game started fast, with the Falcons driving down the field on their opening possession, capped by a 21-yard rushing touchdown from Tyler Allgeier. The Bills quickly responded with a 45-yard pass from Allen to Joshua Palmer, followed by a 19-yard touchdown pass to Dawson Knox to tie the game at 7-7.
After both teams exchanged punts, Atlanta regained the lead with Penix finding London for a 9-yard touchdown pass to make it 14-7. The Falcons then added a huge play early in the second quarter when Robinson took off for an 81-yard touchdown run, the longest rush in the NFL this season, pushing Atlanta’s lead to 21-7.
Buffalo tried to mount a comeback in the third quarter. After cutting the lead to 21-14 with a 16-yard touchdown pass from Allen to Ray Davis, the Bills had a chance to tie the game when Falcons kicker John Parker Romo’s 37-yard field goal was blocked by Greg Rousseau, giving Buffalo great field position at the Atlanta 39. However, the Bills couldn’t capitalize, as they punted on their next two possessions.
Atlanta sealed the game late, methodically moving down the field for a five-minute drive, culminating in a 33-yard field goal by Romo to make it 24-14 with 1:43 remaining. The Bills couldn’t recover, and the Falcons put the game to bed when DeAngelo Malone intercepted Allen to finish off Buffalo.
This win was Atlanta’s first victory over Buffalo since 2013, and with Robinson’s incredible performance and Penix’s poised play at quarterback, the Falcons continue to show promise as they aim for a strong season finish.
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