Falcons Defense Puts NFL on Notice with Primetime Domination

Through the first month of football, the Atlanta Falcons had the No. 1 defense in the NFL in terms of passing yards allowed per game. They headed into Week 6 with a daunting task ahead of them, stopping the reigning MVP Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills' offense. 

“It is definitely a challenge for us,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said when asked about stopping the Bills. “But it’s something that we embrace. It’s something that we love.” 

The Falcons' defense looked forward to the challenge of shutting down the Bills' offense, and they exceeded expectations, holding them to a season low 14 points. In fact, the Bills have not been held to 14 or fewer points with Josh Allen as their starter since Week 4 of 2024, when they scored just 10 points against the Baltimore Ravens.

Allen was held to 182 passing yards (150 before a final drive down 10 points with less than two minutes to go). The defense also forced two interceptions. It was Allen’s first game this season with more than one interception. Most impressively, Atlanta’s defense registered four sacks of Allen. The Falcons are the only team to get Allen on the ground four times in the last two seasons, a testament to how the investments into the Falcons' pass rush this offseason are paying off. 

“The defense is going like 110 [percent] every day … and it shows up in the game,” Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. said after Monday Night’s victory. 

Star running back Bijan Robinson had jokes about the defense after their impressive performance. 

“At least I know I wasn’t tripping in the summer, because I couldn’t get anything off.” Robinson joked Monday night. He went on to add that he thought Josh Allen was the best player in the NFL and the defense made him uncomfortable all night. “Shout out to the defense.”

The defense saved its best effort for the fourth quarter, forcing back-to-back three-and-outs against Josh Allen and the Bills before sealing the game with an interception on the final drive.

After the victory, the Falcons remain first in the NFL in total defense. The Falcons' defense looked forward to the challenge of making a statement under the bright lights of Monday Night Football against the reigning MVP, and they did exactly that. After a month of dominance, the Falcons proved their early-season defensive performances were no flukes, but instead may be a new brand of Atlanta Falcons football.

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