ATLANTA (AP) — One week after Kirk Cousins set a team and personal record by throwing for 509 yards with four touchdowns in a 36-30 overtime win over Tampa Bay, the Atlanta Falcons proved they can post similarly impressive numbers on the ground.
That balance bodes well for the Falcons’ hopes of ending their six-year playoff drought.
With Bijan Robinson running for 95 yards and two touchdowns and Tyler Allgeier adding 105 yards and a score, the Falcons capped their first-half run through the NFC South with Sunday’s 38-20 win at Carolina.
The Falcons (4-2) kept pace with Tampa Bay atop the division with their third consecutive win over an NFC South opponent. Cousins' team-record passing explosion last week will be difficult to top for the new-look Falcons under first-year coach Raheem Morris, but the strong ground game proved the offense is not one-dimensional.
Morris couldn't spotlight just one running back for postgame praise, so he instead presented the game ball to the offensive line. It was fitting. Cousins was not sacked while passing for 225 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. Robinson averaged 6.3 yards per carry and Allgeier gained an average of 5.8 yards.
“We went out last week and they gave us the pass and we threw the ball a bunch,” Morris said. “This week we got out and we got a chance to establish the run and we went out and did it. We did it with a nice one-two punch with Tyler and Bijan. The O-line really took a lot of credit, took a lot of pride in that.”
What’s working
Atlanta's secondary created two turnovers with interceptions by A.J. Terrell and Clark Phillips III. Phillips could have scored on his pick, the first of his career, but he slid down before crossing the goal line, enabling the Falcons to run out the clock. Terrell's interception was his first since Week 17 of the 2021 season against Buffalo.
What needs help
The defense recorded four tackles for losses, including two by defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, but again was held without a sack. The Falcons rank last in the league in sacks with five.
Stock up
With three catches for 70 yards, tight end Kyle Pitts has back-to-back games with more that 55 yards for the first time since his rookie season. Pitts' big play against Carolina was a 52-yarder and his production on a day the Falcons placed less emphasis on their passing game was encouraging.
Stock down
It would have been almost impossible to duplicate his record production from last week, but Cousins seemed out of rhythm early and the slow start could have been more damaging against a better opponent. Cousins completed only two of his first seven passes, including two incompletions to Drake London to open the game. Later, there may have been a miscommunication when Pitts appeared to give up on a route in the end zone.
Overall, Cousins completed 19 of 30 passes in an outing that would be considered solid if it wasn't such a comedown from the previous week.
Injuries
The Falcons could be thin at safety. Micah Abernathy injured his knee early in the first quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Justin Simmons left with a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter.
Key number
65 — Younghoe Koo has made 65 consecutive field-goal attempts of 40 yards or shorter, including from 21, 31 and 35 against the Panthers. For his career, he has made 100 of 102 attempts from no longer than 40 yards.
Next steps
The Falcons return to Atlanta to face Seattle on Sunday. The Seahawks (3-3) have lost three straight.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Charles Odum, The Associated Press
