Falcons Run Game Steamrolls Panthers, Opens Door to Versatile Ceiling

The Atlanta Falcons' offense proved versatile against the Carolina Panthers, offering a glimpse at a balanced offense not yet seen this season.

Atlanta Falcons running back Tyler Allgeier spearheaded a strong rushing attack in Sunday's win over the Carolina Panthers. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- When the Atlanta Falcons reached the locker room at halftime of Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson approached quarterback Kirk Cousins with a question.

"What do you like?" Robinson asked.

"I like running the football," said Cousins, who threw for 225 yards Sunday, just 10 days removed from a career-best 509-yard passing performance that earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week. "I just felt like, when you can get four-to-six yards a pop, it's hard to hard to try other things."

The Falcons (4-2) tallied 423 net yards of offense en route to a 38-20 win over the Panthers (1-5) inside Bank of America Stadium. Beyond winning its third consecutive game, Atlanta found offensive balance it hadn't shown much this season, finishing with 198 yards on the ground.

Through the team's first five games, the Falcons eclipsed 100 rushing yards just once -- a 152-yard performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. Once a potent rushing attack, Atlanta had become pass-happy, running more 11 personnel -- three receivers, one tight end, one running back -- than two tight end sets in 12 personnel.

But Cousins knew the Falcons were capable of beating the Panthers on the ground after one play: the first of the game. Running back Bijan Robinson gained six yards on a carry, and while the drive ended with a three-and-out, Robinson's rush set a tone.

"When you're doing that, it's just kind of a, 'Let's do it until they can stop it,'" Cousins said. "Zac does a good job of staying pretty aggressive, but for me, when you run the football, let's run the football. I believe a lot of times, you throw to score, and you run to win.

"To be able to run the football makes a difference."

Third-year pro Tyler Allgeier rushed 18 times for 105 yards, both season highs, and scored his first touchdown year of the year. The game marked Allgeier's first 100-yard rushing performance since Week 18 of his rookie season in 2022.

Bijan Robinson toted 15 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns, the first game in his young NFL career with multiple rushing scores.

Beyond complementing one another's skill set in a thunder and lightning style, Robinson and Allgeier are each other's biggest supporters, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said postgame.

"Those guys have been big for us all year no matter what the stats say, no matter what we ask them to do, they do. They play together. I'm so proud of them," Morris said.

Running the ball at a high level brings several subsequent benefits to an offense. Cousins said it opens a lot of doors, from putting the unit in manageable third downs and helping sell play action to generating single high looks from the defense.

Atlanta, which struggled early in the season with time of possession and a lack of offensive plays, bested Carolina in both categories Sunday.

The Falcons' final stat line may not do justice to the significance their run game played in the outcome. Excluding three kneels from Cousins at the end of the game, Atlanta rushed 12 times for 89 yards in the fourth quarter.

Falcons tight end Charlie Woerner said postgame the Panthers knew Atlanta was running but still couldn't stop it. One game after dominating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers through the air, the Falcons snatched Carolina's heart on the ground.

It's the sign of an offense that left tackle Jake Matthews said can win games in different ways.

"The more you do that as an offense and have that type of versatility, (it's) pretty effective," Matthews said. "I think it just shows the fact we got guys who are willing to win no matter what."

This idea mirrors that of All-Pro right guard Chris Lindstrom, who said postgame running the ball comes down to all 11 players on the field executing their role. Whether it be receivers selling out for one another, running backs hitting the hole or the offensive line sustaining blocks, Lindstrom said it's a team effort.

And on Sunday, such a team effort underscores the depth and talent Atlanta's offense possesses.

"I think it just speaks to how complementary everything is and how versatile we can be as an offense," Lindstrom said. "When (the offensive line is) called upon, to the skill guys to drop back and throw it for 500, or sometimes, the fronts and the rhythms of the games, it's on us.

"So, I think it just speaks to that healthy balance of everybody buying in."

This includes receiver Drake London, who Morris said postgame is like a sixth offensive lineman. Matthews noted it's uncommon to have receivers who have as much willingness to block as those in Atlanta's room while Lindstrom touted the frequency with which London puts his helmet into the mix.

And while London doesn't actually double as an offensive line, Woerner does. Whenever Allgeier took the field Sunday, Woerner often followed.

Woerner isn't much of a threat in the pass game. He caught a four-yard pass in Week 1 and hasn't received a target since the calendar flipped to Week 2.

But the Falcons' offense is spreading out opposing defenses with 11 personnel, splitting three receivers wide while letting Woerner serve as an integral piece to the puzzle -- and he continues to deliver.

"Charlie's just so versatile," Lindstrom said. "He can do it all -- on the ball, in the backfield, as a fullback. Just the versatility that Charlie brings is great. He's been just such a great addition. A great locker room guy, but then also the physicality and versatility he brings."

Atlanta's offensive line embraced Sunday's game. Matthews said run-heavy games bring out the best in the unit, which grew accustomed to such contests under prior head coach Arthur Smith -- the Falcons averaged 30 runs per game last season, fourth-most in the NFL.

But entering Sunday, Atlanta ranked second-to-last in rushing attempts at just 21.6 per contest. The Falcons hadn't shown much commitment to running the ball and appeared more interested in being a finesse-oriented, pass-happy team.

Atlanta quieted any such ideas Sunday -- Allgeier especially. On an 18-yard run to the right in the fourth quarter, he seemed stopped in his tracks for a seven-yard gain but kept his legs churning.

The public address announcer said Allgeier was tackled by "a host of Panthers," which correlates to Allgeier dragging several members of Carolina's defense. The play happened right in front of Atlanta's sideline.

Cousins called it an impressive second effort. Lindstrom said it gave the Falcons an extra first down and fired up not only himself, but the collection of white jerseys watching on the side.

"Nothing better -- you get up, and on our sideline, our whole bench is going nuts," Lindstrom said. "I think that just pumps a bunch of energy into the team. Tyler's an incredible player, and it shows how physical he runs."

Finding a balance in touches between Robinson and Allgeier has been difficult for the Falcons to consistently achieve. They've often tried to ride the hot hand, which has led to stark contrasts on a week-to-week basis.

But in Charlotte, both Allgeier and Robinson were hot. Cousins thought they ran hard, helped in pass protection and contributed as receivers, showing their value as complete players.

Perhaps nothing better highlights Atlanta's offense Sunday than that -- even in the direct nature of physical running, versatility exists. As a result, Woerner feels the Falcons are finding their best self, now six weeks into Morris and Zac Robinson's regular season tenure.

"It's just continuing to evolve and figure out how we all mesh together, work together, what works best with different personnels," Woerner said. "I think Zac is still figuring that out with all of us on the field. I think we're just continually getting better.

"And obviously it's nice to be winning games while you figure it out, so it's huge."

The Falcons, Cousins said, executed the game that was called. In Week 5, that consisted of throwing the ball around the Mercedes-Benz Stadium turf. In Week 6, it was running Carolina into an 18-point loss on its home field.

And in the future, it may be either -- which makes an already talented Falcons offense that much more dangerous as stakes grow higher.

"I think when you get to playoff games, when you get to tough environments on the road, the ability to run the football takes a lot of pressure off of your pass protection, off of your pass game, off of all that you have to do there," Cousins said. "So, the more we can be versatile as an offense, we can be tough to defend."