Preview for Buffalo Bills @ Atlanta Falcons
The Buffalo Bills (4-1) will look to bounce back from their prime-time loss to the New England Patriots last week and assuage doubts about their status as AFC Super Bowl favorites when they take on the Atlanta Falcons (2-2) on Monday Night Football.
A sloppy performance by the Bills was punished by their AFC East rivals as Buffalo suffered a first loss of the season.
Josh Allen and Co. are expected to bounce back against a Falcons team that has yet to find consistency, but the Bills are wary of an Atlanta offense that impressed considerably in their Week 4 win over the Washington Commanders before last week’s bye.
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had his best game as a professional against Washington, completing 76.9 percent of his passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns with one interception, averaging 12 yards per attempt for a quarterback rating of 126.0.
“[Penix Jr.] knows [the offense] like the back of his hand,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said. “He is extremely detailed in how he runs their offense and certainly has a great running game to go along with the talents and skills he brings to the table.
“His throwing ability is very impressive, very accurate. He seems to have a good feel for NFL defenses already, which is rare.”
Buffalo’s defense also has to deal with the upside that Bijan Robinson brings to Atlanta on the ground and through the air.
“A great moment [dual threat]” McDermott added of Robinson. “He can do it in the running game, the passing game. He plays every down, which is pretty rare these days, and we have a lot of respect for his game.”
Yet the Bills have the most explosive offense in football, having produced 35 passing plays of at least 15 yards and 18 rushing plays of at least 10.
With Allen contributing to both, the Bills should outperform the Falcons if they can avoid the turnovers that doomed them against New England, but the reigning MVP knows Buffalo can’t take anything for granted.
“At the end of the day, it’s the NFL,” Allen said. “Every week has to be earned and that starts in training.”
The Falcons will be without a key weapon in wide receiver Darnell Mooney (hamstring). On the Buffalo side, linebacker Matt Milano is unavailable due to a pectoral injury.
