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 approached quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​with a question.

“What do you like?” Robinson asked.

“I love playing football,” said Cousins, who threw for 225 yards on Sunday, just 10 days removed from a career-best passing performance of 509 yards that earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week. “I just felt like if you can get four to six yards a pop, it’s hard to hard to try other things.”

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

Through 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. After being a high-powered rushing attack, Atlanta had become pass-happy, with more then 11 personnel – three receivers, one tight end, one running back – then two tight end sets on 12 personnel.

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

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

“Being able to run the football makes a difference.”

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

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

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

“Those guys have been big 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 them,” Morris said.

Playing the ball at a high level brings several benefits to an offense. Cousins ​​said it opens a lot of doors, from positioning the unit on manageable third downs and helping sell play action to generating some high looks from the defense.

Atlanta, which struggled with ball possession and a lack of offensive play early in the season, defeated Carolina in both categories on Sunday.

The Falcons’ latest stat line may not do justice to the significance their run game played in the outcome. With the exception of three knees by Cousins ​​late in the game, Atlanta rushed for 89 yards twelve times in the fourth quarter.

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

It’s the sign of an offense that Jake Matthews said can win games in different ways.

“The more you do that as an offense and have that kind of versatility, (it’s) pretty effective,” Matthews said. “I think it just shows that we have guys that are willing to win no matter what.”

This idea echoes that of All-Pro right guard Chris Lindstrom, who said running the ball after the play comes down to all eleven players on the court performing their roles. Whether it’s receivers selling out for each other, running backs hitting the hole or the offensive line supporting blocks, Lindstrom said it’s a team effort.

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

“I think it just shows how complementary everything is and how versatile we can be as an offense,” Lindstrom said. “When the call is on the offensive line, on the skill guys to drop back and throw it for .500, or sometimes the fronts and the rhythm of the games, it’s on us.

“So I think it just speaks to the healthy balance of everyone buying.”

This includes receiver Drake London, who Morris said is a sixth-ranked offensive lineman after the game. Matthews noted that it’s unusual to have receivers with as much willingness to block as those in Atlanta’s room, while Lindstrom touted the frequency with which London brings his helmet into the mix.

And while London doesn’t really serve as an offensive line, Woerner does. When Allgeier took the field on Sunday, Woerner often followed.

Woerner is not much of a threat in the passing game. He caught a four-yard pass in Week 1 and hasn’t received a target since the calendar turned to Week 2.

But the Falcons’ offense spreads out the opposing defense with 11 men, splitting three receivers wide, while allowing Woerner to serve as an integral piece of the puzzle — and he continues to deliver.

“Charlie is just so versatile,” Lindstrom said. “He can do it all: on the ball, in the backfield, as a wing-back. Just the versatility that Charlie brings is amazing. He’s been such a great addition. A great guy in the dressing room, but then also the physicality and versatility.” he brings.”

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

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

Atlanta silenced such ideas on Sunday, especially Allgeier. During an 18-yard run to the right in the fourth quarter, he appeared to stall for a seven-yard gain, but his legs kept spinning.

The announcer said Allgeier was tackled by “a large number of Panthers,” consistent with Allgeier dragging several members of Carolina’s defense. The play took place just in front of the Atlanta sideline.

Cousins ​​called it an impressive second effort. Lindstrom said it gave the Falcons an additional first and ignited not only himself, but the collection of white jerseys watching on the sidelines.

“Nothing better: you get up, and on our sideline our whole bench goes crazy,” Lindstrom said. “I think it just pumps a lot of energy into the team. Tyler is an incredible player and it shows how physical he is.”

Finding balance in touches between Robinson and Allgeier has been difficult for the Falcons to achieve consistently. They have often tried to ride the hot hand, which has led to stark contrasts from week to week.

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

Perhaps nothing highlights Atlanta’s offense more than that – even in the direct nature of physical running, there is versatility. As a result, Woerner feels like the Falcons are finding their best selves, now six weeks into Morris and Zac Robinson’s regular season tenures.

“It just continues to evolve and figure out how we all work together, work together, what works best with different staff members,” Woerner said. “I think Zac is still working on that, with all of us on the field. I think we’re only getting better.

“And obviously it’s fun to win games while you’re figuring it out, so it’s huge.”

The Falcons, Cousins ​​said, executed the play that was called. In week 5, this consisted of throwing the ball across the turf of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. In Week 6, it led Carolina to an 18-point loss on its home court.

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

“I think when you go to playoff games, when you go into tough environments on the road, being able to run the football takes a lot of pressure off your pass protection, off your passing game, on everything you have to do. said Cousins. “So the more we can be versatile offensively, the tougher we can be on defense.”