CHARLOTTE, N.C. – As the Atlanta Falcons reached the locker room at halftime of Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson turned to quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​with a question.

“What do you like?” Robinson asked.

“I like running the football,” said Cousins, who threw for 225 yards on Sunday, just 10 days removed from a career-best 509-yard passing performance that made him the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. “I just felt that when you can do four to six meters per throw, it’s difficult to try other things.”

The Falcons (4-2) posted 423 net yards of offense en route to a 38-20 victory over the Panthers (1-5) at Bank of America Stadium. In addition to winning its third straight game, Atlanta found the balance on offense that it hadn’t particularly shown this season, finishing with 198 yards on the ground.

In the team’s first five games, the Falcons eclipsed 100 rushing yards just once – a 152-yard performance against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2. Atlanta, once a potent rushing attack, had become pass-happy and had more than 11 Players – three receivers, one tight end, one running back – as two tight end sets with 12 players.

But Cousins ​​knew the Falcons had the ability to beat the Panthers on the ground on one play: the first of the game. Running back Bijan Robinson gained six yards on one carry, and while the drive ended with a three-and-out, Robinson’s rush set the tone.

“When you do that, it’s just kind of like, ‘Let’s do it until they can stop it,'” Cousins ​​said. “Zac does a good job of staying pretty aggressive, but for me, if you’re going to run the football, let’s run the football. I think a lot of times you throw to score and run to win.”

“Being able to play football makes a difference.”

Third-year pro Tyler Allgeier ran 18 times for 105 yards, both season highs, and scored his first touchdown of the year. The game was Allgeier’s first 100-yard rushing performance since Week 18 of his rookie season in 2022.

Bijan Robinson had 15 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns, the first game in his young NFL career with multiple rushing scores.

In addition to complementing each other’s skills, Robinson and Allgeier are each other’s biggest supporters, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said after the game.

“These guys have been great for us all year, no matter what the stats say, no matter what we ask them to do, they do it. They play together. I’m so proud of her,” Morris said.

Running the ball at a high level brings several benefits to an offense. Cousins ​​said it opens a lot of doors, from being able to get the unit into manageable third downs and helping sell play-actions to generating individual high looks from the defense.

Atlanta, which struggled with possession and a lack of offense early in the season, edged Carolina in both categories on Sunday.

The Falcons’ final statistics may not do justice to the importance of their running game to the outcome. Without three knees from Cousins ​​at the end of the game, Atlanta rushed 12 times for 89 yards in the fourth quarter.

Falcons tight end Charlie Woerner said after the game that the Panthers knew Atlanta was running but still couldn’t stop it. One game after dominating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers through the air, the Falcons took Carolina’s heart on the ground.

It’s the sign of an offense where, as Jake Matthews said, left tackle can win games in different ways.

“The more you do that on offense and have that versatility, the more effective it becomes,” Matthews said. “I think it just shows the fact that we have guys that are ready to win no matter what.”

That idea echoes that of All-Pro right guard Chris Lindstrom, who said that running the ball after the game comes down to all 11 players on the field executing their roles. Whether it’s receivers selling out each other, running backs hitting the hole or the offensive line enduring blocks, Lindstrom said it’s a team effort.

And on Sunday, such a team effort underscored the depth and talent of Atlanta’s offense.

“I think it just shows how complementary everything is and how versatile we can be as an offense,” Lindstrom said. “When (the offensive line) is called upon, the skill of the guys to get back and throw them for .500, or sometimes the fronts and the rhythm of the plays, it’s up to us.”

“So I think it just points to the healthy balance of all purchases.”

That includes receiver Drake London, who Morris said was like a sixth offensive lineman after the game. Matthews noted that it’s unusual to have receivers who are as willing to block as those in Atlanta’s area, while Lindstrom touted the frequency with which London brings his helmet into the mix.

And while London doesn’t really function as an offensive lineman, Woerner does. Whenever Allgeier took the field on Sunday, Woerner often followed.

Woerner isn’t a big threat in the passing game. He caught a four-yard pass in Week 1 and hasn’t been scored on since the calendar changed to Week 2.

But the Falcons’ offense consists of spreading the opposing defense out to 11 men, splitting three receivers wide and letting Woerner be an integral piece of the puzzle – and he continues to deliver.

“Charlie is just so versatile,” Lindstrom said. “He can do everything – on the ball, in the backcourt, as a full-back. Just the versatility that Charlie brings is great. He was just a great addition. A great guy in the locker room, but then also the physicality and versatility he brings.

Atlanta’s offensive line welcomed Sunday’s game. Matthews said run-heavy games bring out the best in the unit, which became accustomed to such contests under former head coach Arthur Smith – the Falcons averaged 30 runs per game last season, the fourth-most in the NFL.

But on Sunday, Atlanta ranked second to last in rushing attempts with just 21.6 per contest. The Falcons hadn’t shown much commitment to running the ball and seemed more interested in being a finesse-oriented, pass-happy team.

Atlanta silenced all such ideas on Sunday — especially Allgeier. On an 18-yard run to the right in the fourth quarter, he appeared to be stopped en route to a seven-yard gain but kept his legs moving.

The announcer said Allgeier was attacked by “a crowd of Panthers,” consistent with Allgeier dragging several members of Carolina’s defense. The game took place right on the Atlanta sideline.

Cousins ​​called it an impressive second attempt. Lindstrom said it gave the Falcons an extra first down and energized not only himself but the white jersey group watching along side.

“There’s nothing better – you get up and our whole bench is playing on our sideline,” Lindstrom said. “I think it just brings a lot of energy to the team. Tyler is an incredible player and it shows how physical he is.”

It’s been difficult for the Falcons to find a consistent balance between Robinson and Allgeier. They have often tried to stay in the fast lane, which has led to stark contrasts from week to week.

But in Charlotte, both Allgeier and Robinson were hot. Cousins ​​said they ran hard, helped in pass protection and contributed as receivers, proving their value as complete players.

Perhaps there’s nothing better to highlight Atlanta’s offense on Sunday than this – there’s versatility even in the direct nature of physical running. As a result, Woerner feels the Falcons are finding their best now, six weeks into Morris and Zac Robinson’s regular season.

“It’s just a matter of evolving and figuring out how we all fit together, work together and what works best with different personnel,” Woerner said. “I think Zac is still figuring that out while we’re all on the field. I think we’re getting better and better.”

“And of course it’s nice to win games while you’re figuring it out, so it’s huge.”

The Falcons, Cousins ​​said, ran the play that was called. In Week 5, that involved throwing the ball across the Mercedes-Benz Stadium turf. In Week 6, Carolina suffered an 18-point loss on their home field.

And in the future, it could be both — making an already talented Falcons offense all the more dangerous as the stakes get higher.

“I think when you get to playoff games, when you get into tough environments on the road, being able to run the football takes a lot of the pressure off of pass protection, of passing, of everything you have to do.” “Do it there,” Cousins ​​said. “The more versatile we are on offense, the harder it is for us to defend.”