Falcons vs. Packers: Hat tips & head-scratchers

The Falcons clawed back a win from what seemed an inevitable loss.

Hat tips

Bijan breaks out

Bijan Robinson was an unstoppable force in Atlanta’s win over Green Bay. At times, he appeared to be operating in some adjacent universe where time slowed down around him. Rushing for 124 yards and adding 48 in the air, Robinson used his legs to will the Falcons to the win. They likely drop this game without his two clutch fourth-down conversions.

Everyone knew Robinson was special ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, but in Sunday it was apparent that he can shoulder the load when the Falcons find themselves against a wall.

A gutsy call

With the Falcons merely needing a field goal to take a one-point lead in the fourth quarter, they were sitting on 4th-and-1 on the 23-yard-line. Coach Arthur Smith opted to trust his offense in that moment to potentially move Atlanta out of field goal comeback range. Quarterback Desmond Ridder handed the ball off to running back Bijan Robinson who gained seven yards on the play to secure the first-down.

The Falcons would eventually settle for a field goal to move the score to 25-24, but Arthur Smith’s fourth-down call showed a coach who had innate trust in his offense to gain a yard.

Head-scratchers

Penalties

The Falcons surrendered 110 yards on six penalties, the largest of which was cornerback Tre Flowers’ DPI in the third quarter. While Atlanta clawed back to win the game, it has to clean up the penalties moving forward.

Mack Hollins touchdown?

Welcome to the NFL, where toes seemingly don’t count as part of the foot. Mack Hollins snared third quarter touchdown pass from quarterback Desmond Ridder, tapping both feet firmly in bounds in the endzone. Ruled a touchdown on the field, the call was later reversed, ruling that Hollins’ did not catch the ball inbounds.

Infuriating call, which the NFL provided a convoluted explanation for after the game. Bonkers.