CHARLOTTE — At 4-2, the Falcons are off to their best start since the 2016 season, when the team reached Super Bowl 51.
“This team is special just because when you have the chance to be in close games like we’ve been in the last three weeks — really our three wins before this one — we find ways to win those games,” Falcons safety Justin Simmons said. “So, like when you are going into games now, and things are getting close or things don’t go your way, there is this unwavering belief of confidence in this locker room.”
The Falcons leaned into their belief in one another to help them dismantle the Panthers 38-20 on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. It was their third straight victory, all against NFC South opponents.
“The defense has (belief) for the offense,” Simmons said. “The offense has it for the defense. The team has it for the special teams. I think that’s the biggest difference maker. Guys just believing.”
The special teams helped with a tipped punt, the offense pounded the ball in the rushing attack and the defense closed out the game with two interceptions.
“It’s not like let’s wait and see what happens,” Simmons said. “No, we know that we are going to go out here and win this game. We’ll tighten up the details of everything else afterwards.”
Here are the five things we learned from the win over the Panthers:
1. Kings of NFC South: The Falcons and the Buccaneers (4-2) are tied for the lead in the NFC South, with the Falcons holding the head-to-head edge after beating the Bucs in Week 5.
“We played that Sunday night (in Week 3) against Kansas City,” left tackle Jake Matthews said. “We lose a close one (22-17). We’re kind of (ticked) off about it. But (coach) Raheem (Morris) comes right in and he goes, ‘Hey, the division is coming. Let’s get back to what we were saying we were going to do. If we win these next three games, I think we’ll be happy where we are at.’ That’s exactly what happened. We are in a good spot right now.”
It’s been awhile (2019) since the Falcons won three games in a row.
“It’s amazing,” right guard Chris Lindstrom said. “We haven’t won three games in a row since my rookie year. So this was really exciting to get out here and to do it. Division games matter. Those are the ones that you have win.”
The Falcons know there’s more division work to do. After hosting non-division foe Seattle on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta has rematch with the Bucs on Oct. 27 in Tampa then has two more NFC South games remaining. The Falcons play at New Orleans on Nov. 10 and close out the season at home Jan. 5, 2025, against Carolina.
“It’s tough in the division,” Lindstrom said. “You have relationships with the guys across the ball. You play them for so many years. There’s a lot of intensity in all of these games.”
2. Extra blocker in Drake London: Morris referred to London, the team’s leading receiver, as the sixth offensive lineman in the blocking game.
London was vital to the rushing attack, which ran for a season-high 198 yards on 38 carries with three rushing touchdowns.
“Drake is as physical of a receiver as there is,” Lindstrom said. “That’s the reason why I love him. We have such a great relationship because he plays with such an edge, even when he’s catching the ball and running with how violent he is.
“He’s thrown his hat in there in the run game on every play. He’s a big-time receiver (in this) league and then he’s also push-cracking the safety and putting his hat in there.”
London caught six of 10 targets for 74 yards and a touchdown Sunday and now has 38 catches for 428 yards and four touchdowns on the season.
“The ball is just finding me now,” London said. “I’m trying to take advantage of every opportunity that I get.”
London’s 3-yard touchdown catch on a slant route in the second quarter gave the Falcons at 22-10 lead.
“It was just a big-boy route, really,” London said. “Just me between the defender and the ball. Just made a strong catch, and Kirk (Cousins) put it on the money.”
It was London’s third straight game with double-digit targets. When he’s not getting passes, London plays his role in the blocking scheme.
“It was awesome,” Lindstrom said. “I think it takes all 11. I think it’s just a testament to all of the guys buying in. Receivers, they caught 100 yards each last week, and then this week they were throwing their hats in there and (blocking) the safety.”
3. Pass rush: The Falcons did not sack Andy Dalton, the 14-year veteran who has established his ability to read defenses and get the ball off quickly.
The Falcons, who are last in the league with five sacks on the season, had three quarterback hits.
“We’ll talk about how do we get our pass rush better and all of those things,” Morris said. “We’ll do those things. We have a chance to keep working on those things while (we’re) winning. That’s always a good thing.”
Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett had two tackles for losses.
“We want to be better,” Jarrett said.
4. The big interceptions: Simmons broke down what happen on the late-game interceptions by Atlanta cornerbacks A.J. Terrell and Clark Phillips III.
“A.J. made a heck of a play,” Simmons said. “I think it was the last read in Andy’s progression. Maybe for a quick second he thought he had a window. A.J. was able to close it. That was just a heck of a play by him. Really a momentum shifter for us in the second half.”
Phillips could have scored but slid to the ground after his interception.
“Down there at the end, with no timeouts for them, Clark was protecting the sideline knowing that,” Simmons said. “Made a heck of a play on the ball. … Coach said it was a good play. It was a good play.”
Phillips said he was thinking about what to do before the snap.
“I was thinking before the play, they are going to try to get to the sideline,” Phillips said. “When I take it, I need to make sure that I get down. After I made the quarterback miss, I was like, ‘I have to get down.’”
Phillips thought about high-stepping on into the end zone.
“Human instincts say I need to score this thing.” Phillips said. “My first career touchdown, right. It’s about the team. You have to do things like that so that we could get up out of there and get on back to Atlanta.”
Some of the Falcons were harassing Phillips for not trying to score.
“Yeah, everybody is like, ‘You’re a better guy than me,’” Phillips said.
5. Keep pounding: The Panthers adopted the “Keep Pounding” slogan during the Ron Rivera and Cam Newton era, meaning Carolina was focused on running the ball. But it was the Falcons who did the pounding Sunday.
Running back Bijan Robinson rushed 15 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns, and Tyler Allgeier closed things out with 18 carries for 105 yards and a touchdown.
“For us, establishing the run early and throughout the game is what opens up our offense all around,” Robinson said.
He did the damage early, and the hard-charging Allgeier took most of the carries late in the game.
“Tyler was wearing them down,” Robinson said. “He’s a big back, and it’s just hard to tackle him. Then, when I come in the game I just see open space.”
It was Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s most effective use of the two running backs this season.
“So, it’s really like that one-two punch that I love to be a part of,” Robinson said. “I think it’s very important to establish that one-two punch in the NFL because if you have two guys who can dominate the game … people can’t relax against either one of us.”
The Falcons hope to keep the tandem rolling.
“Allgeier got to eat,” left guard Matthew Bergeron said. “Bijan got to eat. They’ve been so great in the past games blocking. It was just great to see them eat as well.”
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