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Bijan Robinson powered the Falcons to a statement win on Monday night, rushing for 170 yards and sealing the game with an explosive touchdown as Atlanta beat the Buffalo Bills 24-14.
Robinson’s 81-yard sprint in the second quarter, the longest run in the NFL this season, gave the Falcons a 21-7 lead. The standout performance matched his career high for rushing yards, and his 238 total yards from scrimmage were a personal best.
Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen threw two touchdowns, including a 16-yarder to Ray Davis early in the second half, but the Falcons’ defense shut down his comeback attempts. Allen completed 15 of 26 passes for 180 yards with two interceptions, including one by linebacker DeAngelo Malone with 41 seconds left.
The Bills had chances to close the gap. Greg Rousseau blocked Parker Romo’s 37-yard field-goal attempt early in the fourth quarter, but Buffalo failed to capitalize. Atlanta responded with a 14-play, five-minute drive capped by Romo’s 33-yard field goal to make it 24-14.
Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. led that final drive, connecting with Robinson for a key 23-yard gain. Penix finished with 250 passing yards and a 9-yard touchdown to Drake London, who caught 10 passes for 158 yards. Tyler Allgeier opened the scoring with a 21-yard touchdown run.
The win improved Atlanta to 3-2, while the Bills dropped to 4-2 after an early undefeated start that now looks less impressive. Buffalo’s four victories came against teams with a combined record of 3-21: Baltimore, the New York Jets, Miami, and New Orleans.
Allen has now thrown four interceptions in his last three games after tossing just one in his previous 12, including the playoffs.
Buffalo fans were loud enough to force Penix into a silent count early in the game, but it wasn’t enough to disrupt the Falcons’ momentum.
For Buffalo, wide receiver Joshua Palmer (ankle) and linebacker Terrel Bernard (ankle) left with injuries. Tight end Dalton Kincaid, who leads the team in receiving yards and touchdowns, was inactive due to an oblique injury. Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones was also sidelined after suffering a calf injury during warmups.
For Atlanta, left tackle Jake Matthews (ankle) exited late in the first half. Nickel back Billy Bowman Jr. (knee, hamstring) was inactive, and wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III was a healthy scratch despite Darnell Mooney (hamstring) already being ruled out.
The Bills have a bye before visiting Carolina on Oct. 26. The Falcons head west for another prime-time matchup at San Francisco on Sunday night.
