Penix has ‘brought life’ to Falcons, and an identity forms around him

NEW ORLEANS — The Falcons entered Caesars Superdome to a chorus of boos from a crowd some 70,000 strong. They left to an abundance of cheers, largely because the only fans still standing were clad in red and black.

They drove away everybody else.

A Monday night that started with the intensity and emotions of the 20-year anniversary of “Domecoming,” and a pivotal primetime bout between two rivals ended with the Falcons earning a statement win, a 45-24 unbuttoning of the Saints.

“I love when we come out here and the stadium is filled up with Falcons fans,” defensive lineman Brandon Dorlus told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the game. “Saying that little ‘Who Dat?’ chant, and then by the time of the third quarter, you start looking up, the stadium is a little lighter. I see all my boys from ATL. So, shout out to my friends from ATL, man.”

The Falcons, like in their Week 3 victory over the Packers, took over a road venue. Fans chanted “A-T-L” and serenaded players on their way off the field. Outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith took a belt from the locker room to the end of the tunnel and mimicked a butt-whipping. Others followed suit.

There’s energy, momentum and swagger surrounding the Falcons, who’ve flipped the script on a listless first two games and are developing an identity in coach Kevin Stefanski’s first season at the helm.

Michael Penix Jr.’s return is at the forefront of the Falcons’ resurrection. He went 15-for-20 passing for 223 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions Monday night, steadying the ship with key throws on third downs and hitting explosives to power the Falcons to their most points in a decade.

“He’s kind of brought life to this team,” receiver Jahan Dotson told the AJC. “It’s fun having him back there leading the offense. We’re just trying to make it easy for him on the outside and make plays.”

The Falcons have largely succeeded in their mission to ease the burden from Penix’s shoulders, and therein rests their offense’s superpower.

Bijan Robinson rushed for 145 yards and two touchdowns. Brian Robinson Jr. added three more scores on the ground. The Falcons, who have the league’s second-best rushing offense, rumbled for 205 yards altogether, and their five rushing touchdowns Monday are tied for the most in a game in franchise history.

“I think we’re starting to find our identity as an offense,” right tackle Jawaan Taylor told the AJC. “You got two great backs in the backfield like that — just keep feeding them and they’ll make plays. So, we just stay on our blocks and big things will happen.”

Stefanski credited offensive coordinator Tommy Rees for the game plan and said rushing success is an 11-man operation. Penix made the right checks. The offensive line made key blocks. So, too, did the tight ends and receivers, who Dotson said “block our asses off” on a weekly basis.

For the first time since 2010, the Falcons have eclipsed 200 rushing yards in back-to-back games. That’s no coincidence. Brian Robinson Jr. said Penix’s return has “definitely” opened opportunities for the team’s rushing attack.

“They’ve got to respect our run game (and) they got to respect our pass game,” Robinson said. “Just leave them guessing. They don’t really know what to expect. So, we’ve just got to keep playing our style of football and just make it hard on them every chance we get.”

There it is. The Falcons feel they have a style. And they don’t think their run-game success is merely a flash in the pan. They spoke all summer about having any and every answer in their run scheme to counter any looks the defense throws. They’re proving it.

The Falcons can run downhill with Brian Robinson Jr., who Penix described as a “dog.” They can run outside zones with Bijan Robinson, who may be the league’s best player. And when their run game rolls, their aerial attack benefits, too.

“It pushes them into a different coverage, and it allows us to eat,” receiver Drake London told the AJC. “So, that’s why we block our tails off, so we can eat. Bijan’s eating, B-Rob’s eating, and then we are going to (as well).”

Don’t forget the defense

Another beneficiary? Atlanta’s defense, which is building quite the identity of its own, in part because of its offense’s newfound firepower.

“That’s big time, for sure,” Dorlus said. “You don’t score on offense, the other team’s going to run the ball. You score on offense, the other team has to pass the ball to catch up to you. So, shout out to the offense. Them boys are doing their thing. Keep having fun, keep winning games.”

In the Falcons’ past two games, the opposing offense has become one-dimensional. The Packers rushed for just 17 yards, the fewest the Falcons have allowed in franchise history, and the Saints tallied just 50 yards on 19 carries — an average of 2.6 yards per attempt.

And with four weeks gone, the Falcons have the NFL’s best run defense, allowing just 48.3 rushing yards per game, some 26 yards better than the next-closest team. They were bottom-third in the league in run defense last season, but after adding more size to the interior of the defensive line, Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s unit has flourished thus far.

“It’s our standard,” Falcons outside linebacker Yasir Abdullah told the AJC. “‘Brick’ always preaches it every day during the week — we stop the run first before we get to the quarterback. So, that’s our standard. That’s one of our commandments.”

Saints quarterback Tyler Shough entered Week 4 leading the NFL in passing attempts, so the Falcons expected an air-heavy game plan. New Orleans’ lack of success running the ball only amplified it, which allowed the Falcons to pin their ears and harass Shough.

The Falcons pressured Shough on 25 of his 51 dropbacks, according to Next Gen Stats. They hit him 12 times and sacked him twice. By night’s end, their lone regret was not finishing him more frequently when they had the chance.

“It’s always fun hitting the quarterback,” Dorlus said. “We stopped the run, then we trusted the game plan and the rush plan. We went out there, had fun playing with each other, and that’s what happened.”

When he addressed the team in the locker room after the game, Stefanski told his players, “How you run the ball, how you stop the run, says who you are as a physical football team.” He read the Saints’ rushing numbers. Players cheered. He read the Falcons’ rushing numbers. Players erupted.

The Falcons took their largest win over the Saints since 1999. They did it behind complementary football — a strong run game that opened up a passing game, an offensive line that made both work, a defensive line that stopped the run and a pass rush that routinely knocked Shough off his spot.

These are the moments Stefanski hoped he’d see. Moments of a vision. Moments of a plan. Moments of an identity.

And on Monday night, the Falcons pieced together 60 minutes worth of moments.