Bijan Robinson delivered a stellar performance, rushing for 194 yards and scoring two touchdowns, as the Atlanta Falcons capitalized on the eagerly anticipated return of quarterback Michael Penix Jr to trounce a punchless Green Bay Packers squad 35-14 on a chilly Thursday night at Lambeau Field.
With the victory, Atlanta improved to 1-2 on the young season, completely erasing an early 7-0 deficit by rattling off 27 unanswered points to take total command of the contest amid a growing chorus of boos from the frustrated home crowd. The Falcons dominated the line of scrimmage in commanding fashion, outrushing the Packers by a staggering 242 yards to just 17 yards on the ground.
The loss marked a historic and painful milestone for Green Bay (1-2), which dropped a home opener for the first time since falling 30-22 to the San Francisco 49ers way back in 2012. Prior to Thursday night, the Packers had reeled off 13 consecutive home-opener victories from 2013 through 2025, sharing the all-time NFL record with the Miami Dolphins, who put together an identical 13-game home-opener win streak between 1976 and 1988.
For Atlanta, the night signaled a dramatic and welcome shift in fortunes. Penix made his first competitive appearance since suffering a devastating torn ACL in his left knee during a loss to the Carolina Panthers on November 16 of the previous year. In his absence, and with Cooper Rush filling in as the starter through the opening two weeks of the season, the Falcons had struggled mightily to generate any sustained offensive momentum whatsoever.
That offensive anemia was entirely absent on Thursday night. Penix stepped back onto the field and orchestrated a fluid, dynamic attack, completing 18 of 25 pass attempts for 256 yards, throwing one touchdown pass, and committing a single interception. His presence unlocked the full potential of Atlanta’s playmakers, most notably Robinson and wide receiver Drake London.
Robinson and London etched their names into the record books by becoming the first teammates in history to each compile at least 150 yards from scrimmage against the Packers at the notoriously difficult Lambeau Field. London was virtually unstoppable through the air, hauling in nine passes for 194 yards and serving as a constant mismatch for the Green Bay secondary.
On the other side of the ball, Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love experienced a heavily pressured and frantic night under center. Love finished the game completing 28 of 53 passes for 312 yards, throwing two touchdowns and one interception, but he found almost no support from a depleted and ineffective running game. Packers running backs MarShawn Lloyd and Kaleb Johnson combined for a meager 17 yards on just eight carries as Atlanta’s front seven clamped down completely.
Love’s evening was further complicated by the fact that he was operating behind an offensive line severely depleted by injuries. The unit was missing starting left guard Aaron Banks, who was sidelined due to a toe injury, and right tackle Zach Bako-Bewele, who suffered a devastating torn patellar tendon the previous Sunday and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. To patch the holes, Green Bay turned to rookie fifth-round draft pick Jager Burton out of Kentucky, who made his first career start at left guard, alongside 2025 second-round selection Anthony Belton, who got the nod at right tackle.
Compounding their personnel issues, the lack of fundamental discipline that had plagued Green Bay throughout its first two games resurfaced with damaging consequences on Thursday. The Packers had entered the week having committed an NFL-high 26 penalties through the first two weeks of the season, and self-inflicted mistakes once again derailed their momentum at critical junctures.
Green Bay had staked itself to an early 7-0 lead and appeared to have forced a decisive third-and-11 incompletion late in the first quarter when outside linebacker Brenton Cox Jr was flagged for roughing the passer. The costly penalty breathed new life into the Atlanta drive. On the very next play, Robinson exploded through a seam for a punishing 55-yard carry, marching the Falcons deep into scoring territory and immediately setting up his own three-yard touchdown run.
That explosive long run by Robinson accomplished another notable feat for the visitors, allowing Atlanta to snap a football inside an opponent’s 20-yard line for the very first time all season. The Falcons had drawn unwanted historical attention over the first fortnight of the campaign by becoming the first team since the 2008 St. Louis Rams to fail to run a single play inside the red zone through the opening two weeks of a season.
Once that mental and statistical barrier was broken, Atlanta took full control of the game, dominating the remainder of the first half to build a comfortable 17-7 lead heading into the locker room at halftime.
Kicker Nick Folk extended the advantage by splitting the uprights on a 44-yard field goal with 4:48 remaining in the second quarter. Shortly after, Atlanta defensive lineman Zach Harrison made a massive special teams play, surging through the line to block Trey Smack’s 47-yard field-goal attempt. Capitalizing on the short field and renewed momentum, Penix calmly targeted tight end Austin Hooper for a five-yard touchdown strike on third-and-goal with just 59 seconds left on the clock before the break.
Green Bay had an opportunity to swing the momentum back in its favor on its opening possession of the second half, marching deep into enemy territory only to waste a prime red-zone opportunity. On a crucial fourth-and-1 from the Atlanta 7-yard line, Love fired toward wide receiver Christian Watson in the end zone, but the connection fell incomplete, turning the ball over on downs.
The Falcons immediately made the Packers pay for the missed opportunity. On their ensuing possession, Atlanta authored a clinical, punishing 10-play, 92-yard touchdown drive that chewed up clock and demoralized the Green Bay defense, culminating in a seven-yard scoring run that pushed the lead to 24-7.
Folk added a 31-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter to stretch the margin further. Although Love managed to engineer a scoring drive later in the period, connecting with wide receiver Matthew Golden on a 15-yard touchdown pass with 8:18 remaining to cut into the deficit, the outcome was already well beyond reach. Robinson put the finishing touches on the comprehensive victory by punching in a two-yard touchdown run late in the game, sealing a resounding statement win for the Falcons on the road.
