The Atlanta Falcons will face off against the Buffalo Bills on Monday night after a bye week. The Bills are looking for redemption after suffering their first loss of the season against their bitter AFC North rival, the New England Patriots, losing 23-20.
The Falcons are aiming to improve to 3-2 on the season and keep pace with the NFC South division leader, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Beating the Bills on Monday night would be a statement win for quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who hopes to enjoy the same success that Drake Maye did for the Patriots against Buffalo last week.
In the upset victory, Maye avoided making mistakes and was able to effectively move the ball downfield against Buffalo’s pass defense. The second-year signal-caller finished the game with 273 passing yards on 22-of-30 passing and shined during New England’s clutch game-winning drive.
Penix praises Maye for his Week 5 performance against the Bills
Penix recently praised Maye for his performance in the win against the Bills and commented on how the Falcons can have the same success against Buffalo that the Patriots did.
Penix said he felt like Drake Maye protected the ball well against the Bills. “We want to make sure we protect the ball and don’t cause any self-inflicted wounds.” #Falcons
https://twitter.com/marcraimondi/status/1976336012956795383?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Penix and Maye were drafted just a few spots away from one another in the 2024 NFL Draft. Maye was taken No. 3 overall by the New England Patriots, while Penix was drafted five selections later at No. 8.
Taking care of the football is a huge key for the Falcons to pull off the upset over the AFC favorites. This season, the Washington product has struggled with turning the ball over as he has thrown three interceptions.
Penix has thrown an interception in his last two games, including a two-turnover game in the Falcons’ brutal 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers back in Week 3. And it was that game where he was benched in garbage time for backup quarterback Kirk Cousins.
After losing in heartbreaking fashion to the Patriots, the Bills are expected to play with extra intensity against the Falcons on Monday night. The Falcons will need to be ready from the opening kickoff as the potent Buffalo offense will come out swinging.
An early turnover could spell trouble for the Falcons throughout the game. The Falcons will need to start fast on offense and rely on their defense to force mistakes against Bills quarterback Josh Allen and his surplus of elite weapons.
