The Falcons entered Lambeau Field as underdogs on Thursday night. They left with a 35-14 victory over the Packers, powered by offense, defense, and Penix Jr.’s return. Packers fans booed loudly, which stood out as icing on the cake. Another bright spot is that Atlanta may have found their next great duo.
Michael Penix Jr. Shakes Off Rough Start in Season Debut
Penix was making his season debut after recovering from a torn ACL, taking the field for the first time since November 2025. His comeback began about as badly as possible. On Atlanta’s opening possession, Packers safety Xavier McKinney intercepted Penix and gave Green Bay an early opportunity to seize control.
The Falcons didn’t unravel.
After the teams exchanged punts, Jordan Love put Green Bay on the board by connecting with Christian Watson for a short touchdown. Atlanta answered immediately, marching 85 yards before Bijan Robinson finished the drive with a three-yard touchdown run. Also, there could be a another great duo brewing. Drake London has at least 100 yards receiving in six of the last seven games started by Penix according to ESPN research.
That response established a pattern Green Bay struggled to break.
While Robinson helped Atlanta establish its running game, the Packers found almost nothing on the ground. Green Bay finished with only 17 rushing yards as a team and averaged 1.9 yards per carry, leaving considerable pressure on Love and the passing attack.
Atlanta moved ahead with a field goal in the second quarter, and Green Bay later had a potential game-tying field-goal attempt blocked. The Falcons’ defense continued causing problems, forcing another Packers punt before Penix connected with veteran tight end Austin Hooper for a five-yard touchdown.
Just like that, Atlanta carried a 17-7 advantage into halftime.
Green Bay had an opportunity to change the direction of the game immediately after the break. The Packers drove all the way to Atlanta’s seven-yard line, putting themselves in position to make it a one-score contest.
Instead, they came away with nothing.
Green Bay failed to convert on fourth down, and Atlanta responded by making the missed opportunity even more costly. Brian Robinson Jr. scored on a seven-yard run during the Falcons’ ensuing possession, stretching Atlanta’s lead to 17 points.
The Packers weren’t completely finished. Love connected with Matthew Golden for a 15-yard touchdown as Green Bay attempted to mount a late comeback.
Atlanta quickly slammed that door shut.
The Falcons answered with a 67-yard drive, capped by Bijan Robinson’s second touchdown of the night. Atlanta’s offense repeatedly found ways to move the chains and chew through Green Bay’s defense, ultimately piling up 498 total yards while averaging 7.5 yards per play. The Falcons recorded 25 first downs over 11 drives.
Green Bay couldn’t match that efficiency. The Packers converted only six of their 15 third-down opportunities, and their inability to establish a running game made the task even more difficult.
Penix’s first game back therefore ended much differently than it began. His opening-drive interception could have provided an ominous start to his return, but Atlanta recovered and controlled much of the night from there.
The 35-14 victory also continued an unusual streak for Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski, who improved to 6-0 in Thursday night games.
Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Matthew Golden were among the notable fantasy football performers, but the larger numbers belonged to Atlanta’s offense as a whole. Nearly 500 yards, 25 first downs and five touchdowns were enough to turn a game Atlanta entered as a 4.5-point underdog into a three-touchdown victory.
The result leaves both Atlanta and Green Bay at 1-2, but they arrived at identical records in dramatically different fashion Thursday night. For the Falcons, Penix returned to the lineup and Atlanta delivered its biggest offensive performance of the young season. For the Packers, missed opportunities, a nearly nonexistent rushing attack and repeated defensive breakdowns made for a long night at Lambeau Field.
