Bijan Robinson matched a career high with 170 rushing yards and gave Atlanta an early two-touchdown lead with the NFL’s longest run of the season, and the Falcons denied Josh Allen’s comeback attempt to beat the Buffalo Bills 24-14 on Monday night.
Robinson’s career-long 81-yard touchdown run in the second quarter put Atlanta (3-2) ahead 21-7.
“We’ve been waiting for that moment,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said of the long run.
Robinson got his 170 yards on 19 carries. He added six catches for 68 yards for a career-best 238 yards from scrimmage. Morris said Robinson “is the best player in football; I’ve said it multiple times.”
For Robinson’s big game to come against Allen, last season’s MVP, was meaningful because he paid the same compliment to the Bills quarterback.
“I think he’s the best football player in the NFL,” Robinson said. “Shout out to our defense. They made him uncomfortable the whole day.”
Allen threw two touchdown passes, including a 16-yarder to Ray Davis to open the second half.
Allen and the Bills (4-2) were stopped on fourth down near midfield late in the third quarter but were provided another opportunity when Greg Rousseau blocker Parker Romo’s 37-yard field-goal attempt early in the fourth.
Allen and the Bills again failed to capitalize. The Falcons secured the win with a 14-play, five-minute drive that included Michael Penix Jr’s 23-yard pass to Robinson. Romo’s 33-yard field goal extended the lead to 10 points, and the Bills were left with 1:47 on the clock and no timeouts.
“They had a good plan,” Allen said of the Falcons. “Looks like they came off the bye week and got to game-plan us quite a bit. Again, I’ve got to be better in seeing the things they’re trying to do to us and make adjustments accordingly.”
Atlanta linebacker DeAngelo Malone intercepted Allen’s last throw with 41 seconds remaining. Allen completed 15 of 26 passes for 180 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, giving him four interceptions in his last three games. He had only one pick in his previous 12 games, including the playoffs.
The Falcons (3-2) leaned on Penix, Robinson and Drake London, who had 10 catches for 158 yards and a touchdown.
Penix threw for 250 yards, including a nine-yard TD to London. Tyler Allgeier scored the Falcons’ first touchdown on a 21-yard run.
Allen had the support of a strong contingent of Buffalo fans who were so loud that Penix was forced to use a silent count on an early possession.
The Bills’ loss added more reasons to doubt their 4-0 start. Those wins came against teams that are now a combined 3-21: Baltimore (1-5), the New York Jets (0-6), Miami (1-5) and New Orleans (1-5).
Chicago Bears 25-24 Washington Commanders
It wasn’t quite the same drama as the Hail Mary that decided these teams’ game a year ago, but Caleb Williams and the Bears did get the better of Jayden Daniels and the Commanders on a final-play score Monday night, with Chicago defeating Washington 25-24 on Jake Moody’s 38-yard field goal.
The Bears (3-2), coming off their bye, extended their winning streak to three games under first-year coach Ben Johnson.
Washington (3-3) continued their pattern of alternating wins and losses in 2025 and flopped with a chance to pull even with the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles atop the NFC East.
Williams finished 17 for 29 for 252 yards and one touchdown, then led the nine-play, 36-yard closing drive to Moody’s fourth field goal of a rainy night.
Moody, signed off the practice squad because Cairo Santos was out with an injured quadriceps, made field goals from 47 and 48 yards in the first quarter and 41 in the third. But he had a 48-yard attempt blocked on the opening play of the fourth quarter.
Moody was cut by the San Francisco 49ers – who drafted him in the third round in 2023 – this September after two missed attempts in Week 1.
Jayden Daniels threw his first interception of the season and ended up 19 for 16 for 211 yards and a trio of TD tosses.
It was 50 weeks ago that Washington defeated Chicago 18-15 on a final-play, 52-yard TD pass from Daniels to Noah Brown.
That play is known as the “Hail Maryland” around these parts and as “Fail Mary” among Bears fans – and it sent Washington on a path that led to the conference title game, while beginning a 10-game losing streak for Chicago.
