Bijan Robinson rushed for 194 yards and two touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons benefited from the return of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and dominated the Green Bay Packers 35-14 on Thursday night.
Atlanta (1-2) erased an early 7-0 deficit by scoring 27 straight points to take control amid a chorus of boos at Lambeau Field. The Falcons outgained the Packers 242 yards on 17 carries.
Green Bay (1-2) dropped a home opener for the first time since falling 30-22 to the San Francisco 49ers in 2012. The Packers had won 13 straight at home from 2013-25 to share the NFL record with the Miami Dolphins, who also won 13 straight from 1978-78.
Penix went 18 of 25 for 256 yards with one touchdown and one interception in his first action since tearing the ACL in his left knee during a Nov. 16 loss to Carolina. Atlanta (1-2) had struggled to produce any offense with Cooper Rush starting at quarterback the first two weeks of the season.
Statistics drivers:
Atlanta Falcons
- Passage: Michael Penix Jr., 18/25, 256 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
- In a hurry: Bijan Robinson, 29 carries, 194 yards, 2 TDs
- Taking: Drake London, 9 carries, 194 yards
Green Bay Packers
- Passage: Jordan Love, 28/53, 312 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
- In a hurry: MarShawn Lloyd, 4 carries, 11 yards
- Taking: Matthew Golden, 5 catches, 100 yards, 1 TD
Robinson and Drake London became the first teammates to each compile at least 150 yards from scrimmage against the Packers at Lambeau Field. London caught nine passes for 194 yards.
Green Bay’s Jordan Love went 28 of 53 for 312 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson combined for 17 yards on eight carries.
Love was working behind an offensive line missing left guard Aaron Banks and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele, who tore his patellar tendon Sunday and will miss the rest of the season. Banks was dealing with a toe injury.
Jager Burton, a rookie fifth-round pick out of Kentucky, made his first career start at left guard, and 2025 second-round pick Anthony Belton started at right tackle.
The lack of discipline that hampered Green Bay in its first two games was on display again Thursday.
Green Bay led 7-0 and had forced an apparent incompletion on third-and-11 late in the first quarter when Brenton Cox Jr. was called to rough up the passer. Robinson delivered a 55-yarder on the next play to set up his 3-yard touchdown run.
The Packers had committed an NFL-high 26 penalties through the first two weeks of the season.
Robinson’s long drive allowed Atlanta to take a snap inside the opponent’s 20-yard line for the first time this season. Atlanta was the first team since the 2008 Rams not to run a red zone game through the first two weeks of a season.
Atlanta dominated the rest of the first half and led 17-7 at the break.
Nick Folk put Atlanta ahead with a 44-yard field goal with 4:48 left in the second quarter. After Atlanta’s Zach Harrison blocked Trey Smack’s 47-yard field goal attempt, Penix threw a five-yard pass to Austin Hooper on third down with 59 seconds left in the half.
Green Bay missed a red-zone opportunity on the first drive of the second half when Love couldn’t connect with Christian Watson in the end zone on fourth-and-seven Atlanta extended its lead to 24-7 on its next possession as Brian Robinson’s seven-yard run capped a 10-play, 92-yard drive.
Folk added a 31-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter before Love threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Golden with 8:18 left. Bijan Robinson capped the scoring with a two-yard TD run.
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