Michael Penix Jr. Returns From ACL Tear as Falcons Rout Packers 35-14

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. threw for 256 yards in his first game back from a torn ACL as the Atlanta Falcons routed the Green Bay Packers 35-14 on Thursday night at Lambeau Field, snapping Green Bay's 13-year streak of never losing a home opener. Running back Bijan Robinson carried 29 times for 194 yards and two touchdowns, while receiver Drake London added nine catches for 194 yards, as Atlanta erased an early 7-0 deficit with 27 unanswered points, according to the Falcons' own recap of the game.

Penix, who tore his ACL last November, opened the game 1-for-5 with an interception before settling in to complete 17 of his final 20 attempts, including a touchdown pass to tight end Austin Hooper. His return transformed an Atlanta offense that had scored just 16 combined points in its first two games under backup quarterbacks; the Falcons had 17 points by halftime alone. Atlanta's offensive line and backs dominated up front, rushing 41 times for 242 yards against a Green Bay run defense that allowed just 17 yards on nine carries, according to the Packers' own game recap.

Green Bay, playing without edge rusher Micah Parsons, who is recovering from a torn ACL, and running back Josh Jacobs, who remains on the commissioner's exempt list, fell to 1-2 as coach Matt LaFleur dropped to a losing record for the first time in his head-coaching career. "That was a humbling night," LaFleur told reporters afterward, according to the team's official game-day summary. Quarterback Jordan Love threw 53 times as Green Bay abandoned the run entirely, per ESPN's account of the game, while Atlanta's defense forced the Packers into their most lopsided home loss of the LaFleur era. Complete statistics from the contest, including drive-by-drive scoring, are available in ESPN's box score. Atlanta improved to 1-2 on the season heading into Week 4.

The rout ended a run of frustration for Atlanta's offense, which had managed only 16 combined points across its first two games while a rotation of backup quarterbacks filled in for the injured Penix. Robinson's 194 rushing yards came within a yard of his career high, and his production, combined with London's 194 receiving yards on nine catches, gave two Falcons skill players matching yardage totals in the same game. Between Robinson's two rushing scores and Hooper's touchdown catch, Atlanta built a lead that reached 20 points in the second half before Green Bay's late scoring made the final margin somewhat closer than the game had felt for most of the fourth quarter.

For Green Bay, the loss was its first defeat in a home opener since 2012, snapping a run that had spanned the tenures of three different head coaches before LaFleur. With Parsons sidelined and Jacobs unavailable, the Packers leaned on Love to carry the offense through the air, but without a functioning ground game to balance the play-calling, Atlanta's pass rush and secondary were able to key in on Green Bay's passing concepts for most of the second half. The result left both teams at 1-2 through three weeks, with Atlanta traveling to face a divisional opponent and Green Bay looking to regroup at home the following week.