Carolina
Panthers
0-1
23
FINAL
28
Atlanta
Falcons
0-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 2 matchup, the Atlanta Falcons narrowly defeated the Carolina Panthers with a final score of 28-23, securing their first victory of the season. Both teams entered the game looking to establish momentum early in the 2026 campaign, but it was the Falcons who came out on top in a tightly contested battle.
Carolina's Bryce Young showcased his talent, throwing for 217 yards and two touchdowns, but it was Bijan Robinson of the Falcons who stole the show on the ground with a standout performance, rushing for 108 yards. Additionally, Drake London was a key target for Atlanta, racking up 114 receiving yards and consistently moving the chains for his team when it mattered most.
Defensively, the Falcons made crucial plays that ultimately swung the game in their favor. Jessie Bates III's interception proved pivotal, halting a promising drive from the Panthers, while Christian Harris added pressure with a sack. The combination of timely defense and explosive offense allowed Atlanta to hold off Carolina's late-game surge and secure the hard-fought victory.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young | QB | 34 | 21 | 62% | 217 | 2 | 1 | 87.4 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 29 | 15 | 52% | 214 | 1 | 0 | 87.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 17 | 108 | 6.4 | 55 | 1 | 25 | 1 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 16 | 92 | 5.8 | 44 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Brian Robinson Jr | HB | 10 | 42 | 4.2 | 13 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Jonathon Brooks | HB | 5 | 15 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Michael Penix Jr | QB | 4 | 8 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Trey Sermon | HB | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 3 | 5 | 1.7 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake London | WR | 5 | 114 | 22.8 | 36 | 1 | 39 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 4 | 80 | 20.0 | 36 | 1 | 42 | 0 |
| Tetairoa McMillan | WR | 6 | 68 | 11.3 | 11 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Chris Brazzell II | WR | 4 | 43 | 10.8 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Christian Kirk | WR | 3 | 39 | 13.0 | 3 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 3 | 37 | 12.3 | 19 | 0 | 19 | 1 |
| Jahan Dotson | WR | 2 | 22 | 11.0 | 4 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Chuba Hubbard | HB | 4 | 15 | 3.8 | 11 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | — | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Jonathon Brooks | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Brian Robinson Jr | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Okereke | MIKE | 10 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Christian Harris | MIKE | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Nick Scott | SS | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyrel Dodson | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 4 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Devin Lloyd | WILL | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marshon Lattimore | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Watts | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Derrick Brown | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mike Jackson | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Dorlus | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalyx Hunt | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lee Hunter | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gervon Dexter Sr | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Samson Ebukam | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jackson Kuwatch | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tre'von Moehrig | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chau Smith-Wade | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Za'Darius Smith | LEDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaelan Phillips | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Bowman Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 3 | 3 | 2 | 51 |
| Nick Folk | K | 5 | 5 | 1 | 48 |

