The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Green Bay Packers 35-14 at Lambeau Field on Thursday. A dominant second half performance, fueled by Bijan Robinson’s two touchdowns and Michael Penix’s passing, helped Atlanta erase an early Green Bay lead and hand the Packers a 1-2 record.
Lambeau Field Opener Slips Away as Falcons Dominate Second Half
Green Bay entered Thursday night’s primetime matchup looking to capitalize on home-field advantage under the Lambeau Field lights. The Packers had won 13 consecutive home openers at Lambeau Field, but that streak unraveled after intermission as Atlanta rattled off 24 unanswered points to open the second half, pinning the Packers to a 27-7 deficit.
The evening started auspiciously enough for the hosts. During the opening drive for Atlanta, Xavier McKinney recorded his first interception of the season, giving the ball to Jordan Love and the offense. Love quickly led a scoring drive lasting nearly five minutes, highlighted by a 45-yard catch by Matthew Golden that set up Christian Watson’s fourth touchdown of the season, putting the Packers up 7-0.
That early 7-0 advantage proved to be the high-water mark for Green Bay’s offense. On the subsequent drive, the Falcons’ primary offensive threat, running back Bijan Robinson, eliminated the deficit by scoring a 3-yard touchdown. With 5 minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Falcons converted a field goal to increase their lead to 10-7. Following that, Austin Hooper hauled in a 5-yard touchdown from Michael Penix on third-and-goal with 59 seconds left in the half, sending the Falcons into the locker room with a 17-7 lead at halftime.
Penix and Robinson Fuel Atlanta’s Offensive Surge
Michael Penix is back . . . and so are the Falcons. The quarterback, who hadn’t played since Nov. 16, got off to a slow start. His third pass was an interception and he was only 5-of-11 to start. Penix, however, hit his stride, completing 13-of-20 passes for 114 yards, one touchdown, and one interception by the end of the first half.
Robinson proved to be the game’s ultimate difference-maker on the ground. Falcons running back Bijan Robinson has 15 carries for 111 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown run. He also has one catch for 17 yards, while Drake London has five catches for 54 yards.
The Falcons have outgained the Packers 253 to 108. In the first half, Green Bay suffered four three-and-outs across six possessions, converting only 1-of-6 third downs and punting four times. Atlanta, who failed to record a red zone snap in their first two contests, converted 2-of-2 red zone opportunities tonight and scored on three of their final four first-half possessions.
Packers Offense Struggles to Find Ground Support
Green Bay’s inability to establish a running game left the offense heavily reliant on the pass. The rushing attack for Green Bay was absent, with MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson combining for 12 yards on five carries. Jordan Love completed 9-of-19 passes for 96 yards, which included a 4-yard touchdown strike to Christian Watson. Matthew Golden has two catches for 53 yards. A 47-yard field goal attempt by Green Bay’s Trey Smack was blocked by Falcons defensive lineman Zach Harrison.
That one-dimensional approach played directly into the game plan. While Falcons Defensive Coordinator Jeff Ulbrich effectively varied his looks, Atlanta blitzed on only 16.67% of plays, which is 14.23% under the league average. Even with that low blitz frequency, they pressured Love on 44.44% of his dropbacks with an average pressure time of 2.5 seconds.
Following 24 unanswered Atlanta points to open up the second half, Jordan Love chips away with a 15-yard Matthew Golden touchdown, 27-14 Falcons. Nevertheless, Atlanta delivered the final blow as Bijan Robinson scored his second touchdown of the game, extending the lead to 35-14 and leaving the Packers at 1-2 on the season.
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