Michael Penix Jr.‘s debut on Monday Night Football couldn’t have ended any better. The quarterback delivered a stellar performance at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, leading the Atlanta Falcons to a statement win over none other than Josh Allen’s Buffalo Bills — a result that sends a clear message to the rest of the NFL.
Sean McDermott’s squad was seen as one of the toughest challenges the Falcons would face during this stretch of the season — but it certainly didn’t look that way. From the very first snap, the home team took control and never let up, sealing an impressive 24–14 victory.
Following the win, the former Huskies standout spoke to the media, reflecting on his team’s performance. He praised his teammates for their effort and made it clear: Atlanta is aiming big this year.
“It showed that we’re one of the ones,” Michael Penix Jr. said via espn.com. “This team is really good. This team is really legit.” The QB went 20-of-32 for 250 yards and a touchdown, efficiently leading the offense and showing poise well beyond his years.
Morris and his QB are in sync
“There is no secret.” Raheem Morris wants his team to be seen as a legitimate contender — and he’s working every day to make that happen. The veteran head coach knows there’s enough talent on the roster to compete at a high level, and he’s determined to put Atlanta firmly in the conversation.
“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.”
Beating a contender
The Atlanta Falcons delivered the biggest statement win of their season, shocking the highly-touted Buffalo Bills and reigning MVP Josh Allen with a decisive 24-14 victory on Monday Night Football.
The Falcons’ defensive front completely rattled the typically prolific Bills offense, holding Allen to a season-low 180 passing yards while forcing two critical interceptions.
On the other side of the ball, the dynamic run game, spearheaded by a monstrous 170-yard performance from running back Bijan Robinson—including an 81-yard touchdown explosion—proved too much for the Super Bowl hopefuls, raising immediate concerns about the Buffalo Bills’ ability to handle physical opponents.