CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) \u2014 The Atlanta Falcons are proving they have multiple ways to win \u2014 especially against a division foe.<\/p>\n
Bijan Robinson ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns, Tyler Allgeier added 105 yards rushing and a game-clinching score and the Falcons defeated the Carolina Panthers 38-20 on Sunday for their third win over an NFC South opponent in three weeks.<\/p>\n
The win comes one week after Kirk Cousins threw 58 passes for a franchise-record 509 yards in a 36-30 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cousins had a lighter day in comparison this week, completing 19 of 30 passes for 225 yards with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Drake London.<\/p>\n
Robinson said the way the Falcons are playing right now opposing defenses have to pick their poison when it comes to stopping them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s where you want to go with the offense, where those guys don\u2019t know if they have to stop the run or the pass,\u201d Robinson said. \u201cAnd then you\u2019re able to do both, it\u2019s just really hard for a defense because then they\u2019re like, \u2018OK, what do we do?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
The Falcons were the latest team to feast on an injury-filled Panthers defense, which has allowed a league-high 203 points in six games, the ninth most in the Super Bowl era and most since the 2020 Dallas Cowboys.<\/p>\n
Carolina has allowed 34 or more points in four games this season.<\/p>\n
Falcons coach Raheem Morris said his team\u2019s ability to run for 198 yards and average 5.2 yards per carry was largely based on taking what the Panthers were giving them.<\/p>\n
\u201cLast week we threw it 58 times and threw it for 509 yards, and this week were able to were able to run for (198) and that is the sign of a good football team when you have to find ways to beat them,\u201d Morris said. \u201cWe are taking what you\u2019re giving us and going out there and dealing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Carolina\u2019s Andy Dalton finished 26 of 38 for 221 yards with two touchdowns passes and two fourth-quarter interceptions for the Panthers (1-5), who have lost three straight.<\/p>\n
The Panthers trailed 28-20 early in the fourth quarter and were moving the ball effectively on the ground with Chuba Hubbard picking up three first downs before Dalton took a shot downfield and was intercepted by A.J. Terrell.<\/p>\n
All of Carolina\u2019s momentum slipped away.<\/p>\n
The Falcons quickly capitalized, pounding away at Carolina\u2019s worn-down defense going 84 yards in nine plays for the clinching touchdown. Behind the bold one-two punch of Robinson and Allgeier, Atlanta ran the ball seven times on the drive for 70 yards and four first downs before Allgeier scored on a 2-yard burst with 5:38 left.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou get into those situations in a one-score game and we\u2019ve just got to finish,\u201d Panthers coach Dave Canales said. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing else to say other than that. We\u2019ve got to finish on our terms and be able to punch that in, get a 2-point opportunity and turn it into a game. We have to learn how to put a full game together.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Falcons (4-2) jumped out to a 22-17 halftime lead behind touchdowns runs of 5 and 7 yards<\/a> by Robinson and perfectly thrown TD strike from Cousins to Landon<\/a> on a slant route on third down.<\/p>\n The Panthers made it difficult on themselves with a variety of self-inflicted errors including three false starts, a bad snap, a dropped pass, a blown blocking assignment and a miscommunication on a handoff where Dalton had to corral the ball and dive forward for a short gain. There was also an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the Falcons\u2019 second touchdown that prompted Raheem Morris to bypass going for an extra point, resulting in a 2-point conversion run by Allgeier after the ball was spotted at the 1.<\/p>\n But Dalton\u2019s two touchdown passes \u2014 a 10-yarder to Diontae Johnson<\/a> and a 7-yarder to rookie Xavier Legette<\/a> in the back left corner of the end zone just before halftime \u2014 and some nifty running<\/a> kept the Panthers within striking distance at the break.<\/p>\n Morris credited his defense for holding Carolina to a field goal in the second half, while intercepting Dalton twice to seal the game.<\/p>\n \u201cWe talked about running the South,\u201d Morris said. \u201cAny time you get a chance to get three wins in back-to-back fashion that is awesome. That\u2019s what we want to be about. So why not just keep winning? Somebody has to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Injuries<\/p>\n Falcons: S Micah Abernathy injured his knee early in the first quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the game. Morris said the injury was not good. S Justin Simmons left the game with a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter as a precautionary measure. <\/p>\n Panthers: LB Claudin Cherelus left the game in the second half with a hamstring injury and did not return.<\/p>\n Up next<\/p>\n Falcons: Host Seattle next Sunday.<\/p>\n Panthers: At Washington next Sunday.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n