Caleb Brooks: "Atlanta made it look effortless, and Michael Penix Jr. was the reason — 4 touchdown passes on 19 completions. New Orleans couldn't run (20 yards) and couldn't stop anything (385 total yards allowed), which is not a recipe for staying close in any game." Nicole Santos: "Atlanta's defense looked plenty sharp with 3 sacks, but New Orleans beat themselves—2 interceptions and a ground game that netted 20 yards tells you everything about why this got out of hand fast."

32 points separated these two, and Falcons had all of them. Michael Penix Jr was steady for Falcons — 19/23, 316 yards, 4 TD. Jalon Walker was the problem for Falcons — 2 sacks. Juwan Johnson's high-water mark for the year. Total yards: Falcons 385, Saints 220.

Talia Morgan: "Tampa Bay ground out a 31-24 win behind Bucky Irving's 238 yards and 3 touchdowns on the ground, while Atlanta's 3 giveaways to Tampa Bay's 1 proved too much to overcome despite Penix's 3 passing touchdowns." Caleb Brooks: "Bijan Robinson caught 3 passes for 103 yards and 2 touchdowns but carried the ball just 3 times—Atlanta's commitment to getting him involved through the air over the ground speaks to how little trust remains in what he can do in the run game."

Tampa Bay's 31-24 win over Atlanta came down to how each team handled the ball: the Bucs forced 3 turnovers against the Falcons' 1, a gap that proved decisive in a game where both offenses moved the ball effectively. Bucky Irving carried the load on 22 rushes for 238 yards and 3 touchdowns, grinding out 281 rushing yards as a team while Atlanta managed only 87 on the ground despite Michael Penix Jr. throwing for 231 yards and 3 scores. The Falcons called 21 passes on the day—70 percent of their plays—which sits above their 66 percent seasonal rate and well above league average, a desperation that grew sharper as the game tightened. Both teams sit at 8-7, but the underlying numbers favor Atlanta: the Falcons project to win 55 percent of games played under similar circumstances, while Tampa Bay projects to just 46 percent, suggesting the Bucs survived rather than dominated.

Falcons were never troubled, putting Lions away 38-14. Zachariah Branch did the catching for Falcons — 2 catches, 83 yards, 1 TD. Bijan Robinson ran it for Falcons — 17 carries, 87 yards. Total yards: Falcons 345, Lions 285.

Chiefs and Falcons combined for 63. Somebody had to lose it. Michael Penix Jr did the damage for Falcons — 18/27, 247 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT — in a losing effort. Kenneth Walker carried the load for Chiefs — 10 carries, 155 yards, 3 TD. George Karlaftis has not had a better afternoon this season. On the ground: Chiefs 188, Falcons 69.

25 points separated these two, and Bengals had all of them. Joe Burrow did the damage for Bengals — 24/38, 311 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT. Michael Penix Jr was steady for Falcons — 24/41, 239 yards, 1 TD — in a losing effort. A season best for Joe Burrow. Total yards: Bengals 459, Falcons 350.

The Falcons dominated the Panthers 38-17 in Week 2, with Michael Penix Jr. completing 9 of 18 passes for 288 yards and 3 touchdowns while throwing 2 interceptions. Kyle Pitts Sr. caught 3 passes for 129 yards and 2 scores as Atlanta's passing attack overwhelmed Carolina, which managed 276 yards through the air behind Bryce Young's 15 of 23 for 276 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 6 interceptions. The Falcons outgained the Panthers 373 to 313 total yards and forced 6 turnovers to Atlanta's 2, improving to 6-1 while Carolina fell to 4-1.