After a painfully slow start to the 2026 campaign, the Atlanta Falcons woke up on Thursday Night Football with a resounding 35-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers. With Michael Penix Jr. making his first start under center of the season, the Falcons looked like a completely different team, as they handed the Packers an embarrassing defeat in front of the Lambeau Field faithful.
Penix’s return was nice and all, but it’s clear the star of this game was running back Bijan Robinson. All night long, Robinson was carving up Green Bay’s defense, and it sounds like a strong message from head coach Kevin Stefanski after the team’s Week 2 loss resonated with him quite deeply, so much so that he compared his new coach to a legendary historical figure.
Bijan Robinson Compares Kevin Stefanski to Martin Luther King Jr.
One of the most explosive playmakers in the NFL, Robinson is the focal point of the Falcons’ offense, no matter who is under center. With Cooper Rush struggling mightily in the first two games of the season, though, Robinson struggled to consistently find space to work with against opposing defenses.
Everything changed against the Packers, though. Robinson finished the night with 194 yards and a pair of scores on 29 carries (good for an outrageous 6.7 yards per carry), while also hauling in two receptions for 19 more yards. Add in nine receptions for 194 yards from Drake London, and Atlanta’s offense was rolling.
The players have to go out and do their jobs, yes, but in Robinson’s eyes, Stefanski played a big role in helping the Falcons’ offense get back on track. According to the star running back, Stefanski delivered a critical speech to the team right after its Week 2 loss to the Carolina Panthers, with Robinson claiming that it reminded him of Martin Luther King Jr.
“Last week was a big testament to who he is, just as a person, as a coach,” Robinson said of Stefanski after the game. “Obviously, we lost how we did last week, and he went right to the locker room … He said this speech. It was like Martin Luther King Jr. was in there, man. I was like, ‘Yo.'”
Falcons Looking to Build Off Week 3 Win
Comparing any speaker to King, who was a respected civil rights activist during the 1950s and 60s, is pretty noteworthy, and it’s telling that Stefanski’s words managed to have such an impact on Robinson. While the Falcons didn’t hire Stefanski with the idea that he would be compared to somebody like King, he’s clearly having the sort of impact the team was hoping he would have on his players.
Atlanta did well to earn its first win of the season, and it will now get to enjoy a couple extra days of rest ahead of its Week 4 action. Winning one game isn’t all the Falcons set out to do this season, though, and you can bet they will be very motivated to pick up a divisional win when they return to action for their upcoming Monday Night Football clash against the New Orleans Saints.
Bijan Robinson’s Wild Kevin Stefanski Comparison Goes Viral After Falcons’ Win