NFL Recap & Results | September 24, 2026
The quarterback change Atlanta made out of necessity worked immediately, and the market never saw it coming. Michael Penix Jr. made his first start in ten months on a short week, on the road, at Lambeau Field, and the Falcons left with a 35-14 rout, their most lopsided win in years, behind a 194-yard, two-touchdown night from Bijan Robinson and a Green Bay offense that couldn't run the ball at all. Here's how it went down, plus a look at how the preview prediction and season-to-date record held up.
Penix and Robinson Blow the Doors Off Lambeau
Atlanta Falcons 35, Green Bay Packers 14
Atlanta answered every question the short week raised. Penix went 18-of-25 for 256 yards with a touchdown and an interception, a 101.4 rating in his first start since tearing his ACL last November, and the offense around him did the rest: 498 total yards, 242 of them on the ground on 41 carries. Bijan Robinson ran for 194 yards and two touchdowns on 29 carries, Brian Robinson Jr. added a 7-yard touchdown run, and the ground game controlled the game so completely that Atlanta held the ball for over 37 minutes, more than 14 minutes longer than Green Bay.
The Packers simply couldn't run at all, nine carries for 17 yards without Josh Jacobs, which left Jordan Love throwing 53 times behind a shorthanded line. He finished 28-of-53 for 312 yards and two touchdowns but also threw a pick, took a sack, and had a field goal blocked, and Green Bay's defense had no answer for Robinson or a Falcons offensive line that allowed zero sacks all night. A Cooper Rush-led Atlanta offense had managed just 16 points across its first two games combined; Penix's Falcons matched that total by early in the second quarter alone.
ATL 35 · GB 14
Falcons Pull Off the Upset.
Atlanta moves to 1-2 with its most lopsided win in years, while Green Bay also falls to 1-2 after an offense that managed just 17 rushing yards without Josh Jacobs. Week 3's full slate is up next.
Star of the Night: Bijan Robinson, RB, Atlanta
194 rushing yards | 2 rushing TD | 29 carries
Michael Penix Jr.'s clean first start back from a torn ACL made a real case of its own, but Robinson's 194 yards and two touchdowns, and the complete control of the clock that came with them (Atlanta held the ball for over 37 minutes), is the bigger reason Green Bay never had a chance to answer.
Dud of the Night: Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay
28-of-53 passing | 312 yards | 2 TD | 1 INT | sacked once | blocked FG
Green Bay's run game managing just 17 yards without Josh Jacobs set the trap, but Love needing 53 attempts to get to 312 yards, with a pick and a blocked field goal mixed in, is the clearer dud.
How We Did: Checking the Preview Prediction
This one went 0-for-2, missing both the side and the total.
The preview leaned Green Bay -5.5 with the under at 42.5, citing a healthier, more established Packers offense against a Falcons team making a short-week quarterback change on the road. Atlanta won outright by 21, and the total came in at 49, over the number, a clean miss on both counts. The short week and the change at quarterback were framed as problems for Atlanta to overcome; instead, they turned out to be exactly what the offense needed.
Season Predictions Record
Tracking every graded pick against the spread and total from the preview articles this season, updated through September 24:
Spread / Side: 15-18
Total (Over/Under): 19-14
The side calls sit at 45%, while the totals are at 58%. We'll keep this tally updated through the rest of the season.
Week 3's full slate is up next. We'll have the preview, the lines, and both calls ahead of Sunday's games.
