Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Falcons Receive High Praise As NFL Analyst Places Atlanta among the NFC Elite

The Falcons could pose a serious challenge this season

Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Coming off their bye week in week 5, the Atlanta Falcons showed the league just what they are capable of. The Falcons faced a strong Buffalo Bills team in week 6 and came away as 24-14 winners.

The Falcons may be just 3-2 on the season through 6 weeks of football, but their win in the first game of the Monday Night Football (MNF) doubleheader this week proved one point: Atlanta is here to play and it won’t go down without a fight.

NFL insider Jordan Schultz is ready to put the Falcons in the elite category of teams from the NFC after recognizing what the Falcons are doing on both sides of the ball.

It’s time to put the #Falcons in the conversation among the NFC’s elite.

Atlanta ranks first in rushing and total defense — and is second in total offense. As we saw vs the Bills, Michael Penix Jr. has developed a lethal connection with Drake London (10/158/1), who’s become one… pic.twitter.com/kMulVSx6j8
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) October 14, 2025

Falcons Defensive Masterclass

As the saying goes, ‘Defense wins Championships’, the Atlanta Falcons currently boast one of the best overall defenses in the league through the first 6 weeks.

In terms of total yards allowed per game, the Falcons rank 1st, allowing just 254.3 yards per game. They also rank 1st in passing yards allowed per game with just 139.4, while their run defense is allowing 114 yards per game, which is near the middle of the league.

The Atlanta Falcons have 14 sacks this season, their most through five games of a season since 2005 (18). pic.twitter.com/xqLij40HD6
— Tori McElhaney (@tori_mcelhaney) October 14, 2025

With just 20 points per game, the Falcons are tied in seventh spot for the number of points given up on average. Atlanta is also currently in the top ten in the league with a +3 turnover differential.

On Monday, the Falcons’ defense held Josh Allen and the Bills to just 14 points, a feat that last happened when Buffalo played the Baltimore Ravens in September 2024. Atlanta held the reigning league MVP to just 182 passing yards and picked him off twice in a high-quality defensive effort in the nationally televised prime-time game.

Falcons’ Offense Finding Its Rhythm

If Atlanta’s defense has been performing exceptionally, the offense is not too far behind. As a matter of fact, the Falcons rank first in terms of total yards per game and rushing yards per game.

Unfortunately, the lack of points they have put up on offense is the only real concern. That said, the last two games have seen substantial output from the likes of quarterback Michael Penix Jr., running back Bijan Robinson, and wide receiver Drake London.

Penix has 563 passing yards and 3 touchdowns in the last 2 games, while Robinson has 419 scrimmage yards and 2 touchdowns. Wide receiver Drake London has put up back-to-back 100+ yards receiving, and his latest chemistry with Penix has lifted the offense to greater heights.

BIJAN ROBINSON
HOUSE CALL
81 YARDS

ESPN | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/FR8BcaIDch
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 14, 2025

Monday’s game against the Bills was also a prime example of how good Robinson has been for the team in terms of rushing, receiving, and blocking assignments. Robinson had a career high of 238 scrimmage yards against Buffalo, out of which 170 were rushing yards.

The season is still a long one, and at the moment, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in cruise control at the top of the NFC South once again. But if the Falcons can continue to execute at this superior level, Atlanta could make its return to postseason football.

Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Atlanta Falcons

Bijan Robinson

Drake London

Michael Penix jr.

NFL

Devavrat Kulkarni

nfl

I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!