.png)
3 hours ago
1
Marc RaimondiOct 13, 2025, 11:51 PM ET
- Marc Raimondi's first year covering the Falcons was 2024, but it wasn't his first year at ESPN. He joined the company in 2019 and was a top combat sports reporter. He also covered professional wrestling and wrote the book "Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Pro Wrestling's New World Order Changed America," which was published by Simon & Schuster in 2025. Raimondi also worked for the New York Post and Newsday, beginning in 2009, covering high school and college sports, plus the NFL, NFL, MLB and NHL.
ATLANTA -- Michael Penix Jr. made his Monday Night Football debut and the result was everything the Atlanta Falcons could have wanted.
Penix, along with incredible performances by running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London, led the Falcons to a 24-14 win over the Buffalo Bills at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Penix was 20-of-32 for 250 yards and a touchdown. Robinson had 238 yards from scrimmage, the second highest single-game total this season, including an 81-yard touchdown run. London had 10 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown.
The Falcons are now 3-2 with three victories over teams that were in the playoffs last season: the Bills, Washington Commanders and Minnesota Vikings.
"It showed that we're one of the ones," Penix said of the victory over the Bills. "This team is really good. This team is really legit."
The Falcons have not made the playoffs nor had a winning record since 2017.
"There is no secret," Falcons second-year head coach Raheem Morris said. "We want to be a playoff organization. We want to be able to go compete in those types of games and we played one tonight and there's going to be no secret. Nobody is going to shy away from those moments. We've got to go do it, but those are the moments you want. Those are the moments you strive for.
"Those are the things you dream about from a coaching standpoint, a playing standpoint, an ownership standpoint -- all of those things we want to be a part of and I think that was just something that we wanted to go out there show tonight."
As good as the offense looked, the defense might have been even better. The Falcons blitzed Bills quarterback Josh Allen constantly -- 71% of the time in the second half -- and pressured him on 47.1% of his dropbacks, per ESPN Research. The Falcons lead the league in yards allowed per game (253.4) and are second in the NFL in yards gained per game (378.8).
Robinson came into the game leading the league in yards from scrimmage per game (146). He is now only the second player to reach 450 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards through five games in NFL history, joining Thurman Thomas in 1991, per ESPN Research.
"He's the best player in football," Morris said of Robinson. "I've said it multiple times, I can't say it enough. You can always have your pick. You can always go out there and figure out who you want to vote for, but in my opinion, he's the best player in football."
Penix said the Falcons offense still has yet to show its full potential. Atlanta led 21-7 at halftime and scored just three points in the second half.
"I feel like we have more in the tank and for us to go out there and win that football game with the second half like that, I feel like we had a big lull," Penix said. "I feel like it is going to be a scary sight whenever we figure it out and all play together and play a full game and not just one good half."
