CHARLOTTE -- Bijan Robinson looked like he was having a hard time processing what happened. The Atlanta Falcons star running back seemed a bit stunned by his team's performance coming off what had been a joyous victory on the road against the Minnesota Vikings in prime time.
"I was surprised, man," Robinson said. "I didn't want to lose by 30 today. Obviously, nobody did. But it happened."
Rather than continuing to build momentum, the Falcons lost 30-0 to the division rival Carolina Panthers. Atlanta's defense wasn't to blame, as it was time and time again last season. In this game, it was the offense and special teams.
"That emotional win we had [last week], we ride that emotional roller coaster," Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. "Today, we hit an all-time low."
The numbers were ugly. It was the Panthers' widest margin of victory in a decade -- a 38-0 victory over the Falcons in 2015, which was also the last time the Falcons were shut out on the road. Carolina had not recorded a shutout at all since 2020.
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had trouble with his headset going in and out early but said that wasn't an excuse for his performance. It was the worst outing of Penix's young career. He threw a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six. Overall, he was 18-of-36 for 172 yards with no touchdowns.
Penix, in his sixth career start, missed open receivers and looked frustrated throughout. Penix's 12.4 QBR against the Panthers was the second worst of the week, just above New York Giants quarterback Russell Wilson (6.5). This season, Penix has not thrown a single touchdown pass to a wide receiver or right end. His lone touchdown pass came in Week 1 to Robinson, a pass in the flat that Robinson took 50 yards for a score.
"Execution," Penix said when asked what the issues have been. "We've got to execute. I got to find those guys when they're open and get those guys the opportunity to make those plays and it'll come."
The Falcons actually outgained the Panthers, 333-224. The last team to outgain its opponent by 100 yards or more while losing by 30 or more points in a shutout was the Miami Dolphins on Nov. 1, 1970, at the Baltimore Colts, according to AtlantaFalcons.com.
Atlanta should have put points on the board in the first half, but new kicker Parker Romo went 0-for-2 on field goals two days after the team released longtime kicker Younghoe Koo. Romo was 5-for-5 against the Vikings.
If it could go wrong for the Falcons on Sunday, it seemingly did. They looked nothing like the team that went on the road for a big win against Minnesota, a team that went to the playoffs in 2024.
"I believe this can either break a team or make a team and for us, this needs to make this team," Robinson said. "We need to come in [this week] and we need to watch this game, and we all need to feel the same hurt, feel the same way. This is a division game at that. So, it needs to hurt even more. And for us, this loss right here, it needs to be -- when people look back at it -- this week needs to be the week where we have to come together and change everything so we can become the team we want to become."
The Falcons were favored by 4.5 points against the Panthers, according to ESPN BET. It was a game they really could have used to go 2-1 heading into a rough stretch against the Washington Commanders, a Monday Night Football matchup against the Buffalo Bills and a Sunday night game on the road against the San Francisco 49ers. Those teams are a combined 8-1.
"It's one of these games like this where it's just like, damn," Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney said. "But it's good that it's early than it is later. We hate that it's a division game, but we always have one of these games each year. So, it's good. It's early, get it out the way."
Morris said Monday that the plan is for offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to move down to the sideline rather than being in the coaching box upstairs after the loss to the Panthers and the Falcons' struggles offensively in general. The Falcons also fired receivers coach Ike Hilliard.