3 weeks ago
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Marc RaimondiOct 13, 2025, 11:51 PM ET
- Marc Raimondi's archetypal twelvemonth covering the Falcons was 2024, but it wasn't his archetypal twelvemonth astatine ESPN. He joined the institution successful 2019 and was a apical combat sports reporter. He besides covered nonrecreational wrestling and wrote the publication "Say Hello to the Bad Guys: How Pro Wrestling's New World Order Changed America," which was published by Simon & Schuster successful 2025. Raimondi besides worked for the New York Post and Newsday, opening successful 2009, covering precocious schoolhouse and assemblage sports, positive the NFL, NFL, MLB and NHL.
ATLANTA -- Michael Penix Jr. made his Monday Night Football debut and the effect was everything the Atlanta Falcons could person wanted.
Penix, on with unthinkable performances by moving backmost Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London, led the Falcons to a 24-14 triumph implicit the Buffalo Bills astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Penix was 20-of-32 for 250 yards and a touchdown. Robinson had 238 yards from scrimmage, the 2nd highest single-game full this season, including an 81-yard touchdown run. London had 10 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown.
The Falcons are present 3-2 with 3 victories implicit teams that were successful the playoffs past season: the Bills, Washington Commanders and Minnesota Vikings.
"It showed that we're 1 of the ones," Penix said of the triumph implicit the Bills. "This squad is truly good. This squad is truly legit."
The Falcons person not made the playoffs nor had a winning grounds since 2017.
"There is nary secret," Falcons second-year caput manager Raheem Morris said. "We privation to beryllium a playoff organization. We privation to beryllium capable to spell vie successful those types of games and we played 1 contiguous and there's going to beryllium nary secret. Nobody is going to shy distant from those moments. We've got to spell bash it, but those are the moments you want. Those are the moments you strive for.
"Those are the things you imagination astir from a coaching standpoint, a playing standpoint, an ownership standpoint -- each of those things we privation to beryllium a portion of and I deliberation that was conscionable thing that we wanted to spell retired determination amusement tonight."
As bully arsenic the discourtesy looked, the defence mightiness person been adjacent better. The Falcons blitzed Bills backmost Josh Allen perpetually -- 71% of the clip successful the 2nd fractional -- and pressured him connected 47.1% of his dropbacks, per ESPN Research. The Falcons pb the league successful yards allowed per crippled (253.4) and are 2nd successful the NFL successful yards gained per crippled (378.8).
Robinson came into the crippled starring the league successful yards from scrimmage per crippled (146). He is present lone the 2nd subordinate to scope 450 rushing yards and 300 receiving yards done 5 games successful NFL history, joining Thurman Thomas successful 1991, per ESPN Research.
"He's the champion subordinate successful football," Morris said of Robinson. "I've said it aggregate times, I can't accidental it enough. You tin ever person your pick. You tin ever spell retired determination and fig retired who you privation to ballot for, but successful my opinion, he's the champion subordinate successful football."
Penix said the Falcons discourtesy inactive has yet to amusement its afloat potential. Atlanta led 21-7 astatine halftime and scored conscionable 3 points successful the 2nd half.
"I consciousness similar we person much successful the vessel and for america to spell retired determination and triumph that shot crippled with the 2nd fractional similar that, I consciousness similar we had a large lull," Penix said. "I consciousness similar it is going to beryllium a scary show whenever we fig it retired and each play unneurotic and play a afloat crippled and not conscionable 1 bully half."
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