The Atlanta Falcons were far from perfect on Sunday, but they did enough to secure a 34-27 victory over the Washington Commanders. Considering their upcoming schedule, the Falcons may have saved their season. The team played with a renewed sense of urgency that simply wasn’t there last weekend.
Atlanta improved to 2-2 following Sunday’s win and the offense deserves a lot of credit. The Falcons racked up 435 yards and scored 34 points one week after their shutout loss to the Panthers. Defensively, the team had some rocky moments but mostly held it together against a fairly explosive Commanders offense.
Here are five takeaways from the Falcons’ 34-27 win over the Commanders.
Michael Penix Jr. responds with huge game
The Falcons fired wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard and moved offensive coordinator Zac Robinson down to the sideline to get things on track after a disastrous showing against the Panthers. Michael Penix Jr. responded with by far his best game of the season, passing for a career-high 313 yards and two touchdowns, with one interception. Penix made big plays down the field in one of his more efficient games (77 percent completion rate). The second-year quarterback delivered with the season on the line in Week 4.
That deep ball to Drake, y’all 😮💨
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— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 28, 2025
Falcons rookie Xavier Watts with another interception
Watts recorded his second career interception in the third quarter against the Commanders. The rookie safety finished with six tackles (two solo) and an interception in Sunday’s 34-27 win. That’s not too bad for a third-round pick in his fourth career game. Watts has star potential and has already made an impact. The Falcons continue to get significant contributions from their 2025 draft class. James Pearce Jr. continues to rack up pressures. Billy Bowman Jr. has been impressive in coverage and Jalon Walker has been solid all around.
X MARKS THE INTERCEPTION
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— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 28, 2025
Kyle Pitts continues to step up
Pitts has looked like a different players this season. The fifth-year tight end has arguably been the team’s most consistent pass-catcher from week to week, and he’s clearly developed chemistry with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Pitts finished Sunday’s game with five catches for 70 receiving yards and his first touchdown of the season. He also recovered a late onside kick to seal the win in the fourth quarter. Through the first four games, Pitts has 20 catches for 205 receiving yards and one touchdown.
MP, KP, YES PLZ
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— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) September 28, 2025
Darnell Mooney injured during big day for offense
The veteran wide receiver’s string of bad luck continued on Sunday. Mooney injured his hamstring early in the third quarter and did not return. Prior to leaving the game, he had just one reception for 15 yards. Mooney missed all of training camp after injuring his shoulder on Day 1. He hasn’t looked 100 percent this season but hopefully he can get healthy over the bye week and come back a little fresher. Drake London and Bijan Robinson went off in the meantime, combining for 216 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Robinson finished with 181 total yards (106 receiving yards).
What’s next for the Falcons?
After an up-and-down start to the season, the Falcons have a bye in Week 5. The team will return in Week 6 to battle the Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football. After that, it’s off to San Francisco to play the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday Night Football. The players better get some rest because it will only get tougher from here on out.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons defeat Commanders: Game recap of NFL Week 4
