Above and Bijan: The Falcons are Back, Plus Week 4 Winners and Losers

Summary of Above and Bijan: The Falcons are Back, Plus Week 4 Winners and Losers

by ESPN, Omaha Productions, Mina Kimes

1h 6m•October 6, 2026
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Overview of Above and Bijan: The Falcons Are Back, Plus Week 4 Winners and Losers

Mina Kimes and Ben Solak open with a deep dive into Atlanta’s convincing win over New Orleans, arguing that the Falcons may have something real on both sides of the ball: a developing Michael Penix Jr., an elite Bijan Robinson-led run game, and a surprisingly disruptive pass rush. The second half of the episode shifts to Week 4 “winners and losers,” with major discussion on Drake Maye’s Patriots, Bryce Young’s breakout, the Bengals’ offensive identity crisis, and the Texans’ defensive regression.

Falcons Recap: Atlanta Looks Like a Real Problem

Michael Penix Jr.’s growth

  • Penix was praised for taking a meaningful step forward in his development.
  • The big shift: he’s no longer just throwing fastballs — he’s showing better touch, layering throws, and working more of the field.
  • Against the Saints, he was especially strong attacking seams and intermediate windows, and the play-action game made everything easier.
  • The big takeaway: when Atlanta can run the ball, Penix becomes a dangerous play-action quarterback with legitimate downfield juice.

Bijan Robinson changes the math

  • Bijan remains the centerpiece of the offense and was described as the best running back in football.
  • The Falcons’ run game is violent and simple in a way that’s hard to stop: get Bijan moving with speed, use outside zone, and punish light boxes.
  • The hosts emphasized that Atlanta is not a team you want to trail against:
    • Penix can hit explosive play-action shots.
    • Bijan can turn negative plays into chunk gains.
    • The offense can overwhelm teams that overcommit to stopping the run.

The Falcons’ defense is the surprise

  • One of the biggest revelations of Week 4 is that Atlanta’s defense is producing pressure without relying on heavy blitzing.
  • The pass rush has been coming from everywhere, including bargain acquisitions and rotational players rather than stars.
  • Ben argued that Jeff Ulbrich’s unit looks increasingly like a well-coached, disruptive front that can punish bad offensive lines.

Saints Concerns: Tyler Shough Was Set Up to Fail

Offensive line and run game issues

  • New Orleans’ offensive line was overwhelmed, and the Saints’ run game remains a major problem.
  • The offense can’t consistently run the ball, which forces too much onto Tyler Shough.
  • With Kelvin Banks Jr. injured, the line situation looks even more fragile.

Shough showed flashes, but the context was brutal

  • Shough made a few good throws under heavy pressure, but the pocket was collapsing too quickly for him to really operate.
  • Chris Olave continues to be heavily featured, but the offense feels like it’s operating on a knife’s edge.
  • Kellen Moore also drew criticism for questionable game management and for not finding a better way to stabilize the offense.

Week 4 Winners

New England Patriots

  • The Pats’ win over Buffalo was framed as a major confidence boost and a sign that the coaching staff can help Drake Maye out of bad stretches.
  • Key schematic changes helped:
    • More play action
    • More motion
    • More condensed formations
    • Easier reads and cleaner structure
  • Maye still had some shaky moments, but he looked calmer and more decisive.
  • The receivers actually helped him this week by winning contested catches and converting key downs.
  • Defensively, New England did a strong job of:
    • limiting Josh Allen’s escape ability
    • controlling the middle of the field
    • creating enough pass-rush disruption to matter without Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore

Carolina Panthers / Bryce Young

  • Bryce Young was a major winner, especially in how he handled pressure.
  • The most notable change: no panic.
  • He’s playing faster, more confidently, and with much better precision between the numbers.
  • Carolina’s offense is leaning into what Bryce does best:
    • RPOs
    • quick decisions
    • middle-of-field throws
    • taking advantage of his twitch and ability to create when structure breaks
  • Tetairoa McMillan was highlighted as a huge part of the offense:
    • used in the slot
    • great at adjusting routes to coverage
    • a quarterback-friendly target with size and body control
  • The hosts noted that Bryce’s improvement is real, but the next stretch of schedule will test whether this is sustainable.

Week 4 Losers

Cincinnati Bengals

  • The Bengals’ loss to Jacksonville exposed a bigger problem than just one bad game: they are too one-dimensional.
  • Joe Burrow is throwing an enormous amount because the run game has not been efficient enough.
  • The broader issue:
    • the offense wants to be multiple
    • but the running game isn’t good enough to force balance
    • and they’re abandoning the run too quickly
  • The defense and tackling issues make everything worse.
  • The hosts pushed back on the idea that “just go under center more” will fix everything — the real issue is that the ground game itself has to improve.

Houston Texans

  • The big concern is no longer C.J. Stroud — it’s the defense.
  • Houston entered the season with elite expectations, but the defense has not been dominant.
  • Against Dallas, the Texans struggled with:
    • coverage busts
    • inability to generate quick pressure
    • soft zones that gave Dak Prescott too much time and space
  • The hosts argued Houston may need to be more aggressive, even if that means playing more man coverage or tighter leverage.
  • The Texans are still probably better than their record, but the margin for error is gone.

Main Takeaways

  • Atlanta is for real: The Falcons look like a legitimate NFC South force if Penix keeps progressing and Bijan stays dominant.
  • Bryce Young’s leap may be the most encouraging quarterback development of the early season.
  • The Bengals’ offensive identity debate is really about run-game efficiency, not just formation preference.
  • Houston’s defense has been the surprising disappointment, not Stroud.
  • Coaching and structure matter a lot: the Patriots’ and Panthers’ turns show how much better an offense can look when the environment gets cleaner.

Looking Ahead

  • Atlanta’s next question is whether this offense can keep dominating against more conventional defenses.
  • Carolina gets a tougher test ahead, which will show whether Bryce’s leap is sustainable.
  • Cincinnati needs to fix the run game quickly or keep living in Burrow-heavy, high-variance football.
  • Houston still has time, but the defense has to start matching its preseason reputation soon.