Atlanta
Falcons
0-0
31
FINAL
21
Carolina
Panthers
0-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling season opener, the Atlanta Falcons secured a 31-21 victory over the Carolina Panthers, setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting 2031 campaign. With both teams eager to start strong, the Falcons emerged victorious, showcasing their offensive firepower and resilience.
Leading the charge for Atlanta was quarterback Howie Perry, who threw for three touchdowns, putting the Falcons ahead early and maintaining their momentum throughout the game. Running back Bijan Robinson complemented the passing attack with a powerful performance, racking up 104 rushing yards and keeping the Panthers' defense on its heels. On the other side, Carolina's Bryce Young put up a valiant effort, throwing for 274 yards, but ultimately could not outpace the Falcons' offense.
Defensively, the Falcons held firm, limiting the Panthers' scoring opportunities when it mattered most. Brian Nelson II recorded nine total tackles for Carolina, but it was a crucial late-game stop by the Atlanta defense that turned the tide, preventing a potential comeback. The Falcons' ability to control the game clock and make key defensive stands allowed them to secure the win and start their season on a high note.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young | QB | 40 | 26 | 65% | 274 | 1 | 0 | 93.1 |
| Howie Perry | QB | 36 | 27 | 75% | 214 | 3 | 0 | 117.1 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 21 | 104 | 5.0 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Larry Oh | HB | 12 | 56 | 4.7 | 14 | 1 | 15 | 1 |
| Howie Perry | QB | 4 | 31 | 7.8 | 19 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Cameron Dickey | HB | 4 | 23 | 5.8 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Dallas Wilson | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Mike Matthews | WR | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | — | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Jalen Coker | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrance Jackson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kirk Leonard | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Coker | WR | 8 | 80 | 10.0 | 23 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Dallas Wilson | WR | 8 | 63 | 7.9 | 13 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Terrance Jackson | WR | 5 | 62 | 12.4 | 7 | 1 | 24 | 0 |
| Brett Norfleet | TE | 6 | 61 | 10.2 | 12 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Erik Conway | WR | 4 | 54 | 13.5 | 20 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Mike Matthews | WR | 3 | 51 | 17.0 | 12 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Kirk Leonard | TE | 3 | 41 | 13.7 | 16 | 0 | 16 | 1 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 5 | 26 | 5.2 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| Tanner Koziol | TE | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Mateo Portillo | TE | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | — | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Larry Oh | HB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Javier Feliz | FB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brian Nelson II | CB | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Darius Muasau | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dylan Stewart | LEDG | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jayden Bellamy | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Enrique Kight | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Whit Weeks | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kevin Dunsmore | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevor Watkins | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brett Parker | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dontrell Yazzie | LEDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| KT Seay | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremy Foster | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Sawyer | LEDG | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devon Sherwood | SAM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chris Braswell | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Myles Graham | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kris Harris | DT | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quinyon Mitchell | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dani Dennis-Sutton | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Darrell Jackson Jr | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Enechukwu | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| John Curry | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mitch Sahara | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Aydin Breland | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Mohamed | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jay Crawford | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeremy McGee | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Hartman | K | 1 | 2 | 4 | 52 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |

