Falcons vs. Bengals recap: Cincinnati’s offense hit early, while Michael Penix Jr. showed new mobility

Atlanta came out of its return from Madrid to regroup after a 34-17 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, a game the Falcons fell to 3-6 on the season in. Coach Kevin Stefanski pointed to uncharacteristic discipline issues, including a season-high 12 penalties, as a major reason the offense could not turn big moments into sustained scoring drives.

The Bengals’ offensive rhythm set the tone early. Cincinnati scored touchdowns on its first three possessions, which forced the Falcons to play from behind and limited how often Atlanta could dictate tempo. Falcons coaches and players had already emphasized the difficulty of stopping Cincinnati’s offensive front and skill group, and the early execution backed that up.

Under center, Joe Burrow finished 24-of-29 for 271 yards and three touchdowns, with two of those scores going to Tee Higgins. Ja’Marr Chase emerged as the clear primary option, catching 10 passes for 155 yards and a touchdown, as Cincinnati continued to target its top matchup throughout the game.

For Atlanta, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had his bounce-back effort after a tougher week in Tampa Bay. He completed 20 of 31 passes for 162 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and penalties at points disrupted otherwise promising situations.

The biggest new element from Penix was on the ground. He scrambled three times for 50 rushing yards, including a 23-yard run in the first quarter that was the longest of his NFL career. The team also noted the speed from that play, citing Next Gen Stats and recording 19.37 miles per hour for the third-fastest speed by a Falcons offensive player in a game-time context. Penix credited taking advantage of lanes when they appeared.