5 takeaways from Falcons' upset of Bills

Gabriel Burns, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Oct 13, 2025

Published in Football

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ATLANTA — The Falcons should be giddy over their defense; beyond giddy, really.

The unit came through again and again and again as the Falcons upset the Buffalo Bills 24-14 on “Monday Night Football” at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It’s a huge win for the Falcons, who are trying to keep pace with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-1) and Carolina Panthers (3-3) in the NFC South.

And if the Falcons are going to make the playoffs in a deep NFC, they’ll need more performances like this one. Here are five takeaways:

— Take a bow, Jeff Ulbrich. The Falcons’ defensive coordinator has made the 2024 unit a distant memory. It’s clear the Falcons have a quality defense. When was the last time the Falcons’ defense held an MVP quarterback down the way it did Monday?

Josh Allen looked out of sorts from the opening drive and never found consistency. Ulbrich outcoached Bills offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who routinely is touted as a head coach candidate. Allen was sacked four times and threw two interceptions, with each coming at the end of a half.

— Falcons running back Bijan Robinson is a sensation, accruing 238 total yards, including 170 rushing yards. Robinson had an 81-yard touchdown run that was the longest of his career.

— Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. benefited greatly from the run game. He didn’t need to be superman, throwing for 250 yards and a touchdown on 20-for-32 passing. Penix will happily take that every week. He was efficient and showed constant toughness in delivering passes while getting smacked — including on the team’s clinching drive in which he found Robinson as he was clocked by a Bills defender.

— Falcons left tackle Jake Matthews left the game before halftime with an ankle injury. His status will be a major story moving forward. Matthews is a good player at a premium position, and losing him for any time would be a blow.

— The Falcons needed this win to keep pace in a loaded NFC. They join the following teams that have won at least three games: Tampa Bay (5), Detroit (4), Philadelphia (4) San Francisco (4), Seattle (4), Los Angeles (4), Green Bay (3), Minnesota (3), Washington (3) and Carolina. It’s early, but it feels like it could be a year in which an NFC team might need at least 10 wins to reach the playoffs.

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