CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Atlanta Falcons are proving they have multiple ways to win — especially against a division opponent.

Bijan Robinson ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns, Tyler Allgeier added 105 yards rushing and a game-winning score and the Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers 38-20 on Sunday for their third win over an NFC South opponent in three weeks.

The win comes a week after Kirk Cousins ​​threw 58 passes for a franchise record 509 yards in a 36-30 overtime win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Cousins ​​had an easier day in comparison this week, completing 19 of 30 passes for 225 yards with a 3-yard touchdown pass to Drake London.

Robinson said that given the way the Falcons are currently playing, opposing defenses will have to pick their poison when it comes to stopping them.

“That’s where you want to go with the offense, where the guys don’t know whether they have to stop the run or the pass,” Robinson said. “And then you’re able to do both, it’s just really hard for a defense because then they’re like, ‘Okay, what do we do?'”

The Falcons were the last team to enjoy an injury-riddled Panthers defense that allowed a league-high 203 points in six games, the ninth-most points in the Super Bowl era and the most since the 2020 Dallas Cowboys.

Carolina has allowed 34 or more points in four games this season.

Falcons coach Raheem Morris said his team’s ability to rush for 198 yards and average 5.2 yards per carry was largely due to them getting what the Panthers gave them.

“Last week we threw 58 times for 509 yards and this week we were able to run for (198) and that’s the sign of a good football team when you have to find ways to beat them. Morris said. “We take what you give us and go out and trade.”

Carolina’s Andy Dalton finished 26 of 38 for 221 yards with two touchdown passes and two interceptions in the fourth quarter for the Panthers (1-5), who have lost three straight.

Trailing 28-20 early in the fourth quarter, the Panthers moved the ball effectively on the ground, with Chuba Hubbard getting three first downs before Dalton fired a shot downfield and was intercepted by AJ Terrell.

All of Carolina’s momentum faded.

The Falcons quickly capitalized, pounding Carolina’s depleted defense 84 yards in nine plays for the game-winning touchdown. Behind the audacious 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.

“In a one-score game you get into situations like this and we just have to finish,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. “There’s nothing else to say other than that. We have to finish on our terms and be able to take the chance, get a two-point chance and make a game out of it. We have to learn to put together a complete game.”

The Falcons (4-2) built a 22-17 halftime lead after Robinson ran touchdowns of 5 and 7 yards and a perfect TD strike from Cousins ​​to Landon on a slant route on third down.

The Panthers made things difficult for themselves by making a series of self-inflicted errors, including three false starts, a bad snap, a dropped pass, an incorrect block assignment and a miscommunication on a handoff that required Dalton to hold on to the ball and lunge forward short profit. There was also an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the Falcons’ second touchdown, which prompted Raheem Morris to go for an extra point, which led to a 2-point conversion run by Allgeier after the ball was spotted at 1.

But Dalton’s two touchdown passes – a 10-yarder to Diontae Johnson and a 7-yarder to rookie Xavier Legette in the back left corner of the end zone just before halftime – and some slick runs kept the Panthers within striking distance at halftime.

Morris praised his defense for forcing Carolina into a field goal in the second half while intercepting Dalton twice to seal the game.

“We talked about governing the South,” Morris said. “Any time you have the chance to get three wins in a row is great. That’s what we care about. So why not just keep winning? Someone has to do it.”

Injuries

Falcons: S Micah Abernathy injured his knee early in the first quarter and was out for the remainder of the game. Morris said the injury was not good. S Justin Simmons left the game as a precaution with a hamstring injury in the fourth quarter.

Panthers: LB Claudin Cherelus left the game in the second half with a hamstring injury and did not return.

Next

Falcons: Host Seattle next Sunday.

Panthers: Next Sunday at Washington.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl