Drake London absolutely went off for a career-high 194 yards against the Green Bay Packers in Week 3, and honestly, two massive passes for 68 and 40 yards told the whole damn story of that game. Those two catches alone racked up 108 yards and were directly responsible for 10 of Atlanta’s points. When a defense gives up plays like that, you know things are going sideways fast.
That 68-Yard Bust That Ended the Game
The Falcons already had a comfortable 24-7 lead going into the fourth quarter, but then Michael Penix and Drake London just put the nail in the coffin. Early in the fourth, on third-and-2 deep in their own territory, Penix hit London for a monstrous 68-yard gain. This wasn’t some garbage time play; this was a high-leverage down where the defense *had* to respect everything, from the run to a quick slant. But Green Bay’s single high Cover-3, designed to protect the short game, totally fell apart.
Brandon Cisse, the corner to the weak side, was aligned about seven yards off London, who was stacked with the tight end. Atlanta ran a 2×2 four verticals concept, which is just lethal against single high coverage. Penix knew exactly what he was doing, manipulating deep safety Xavier McKinney by moving him away from where London was going. Cisse, in what the film calls an “inexplicable” move, pushed to the flat as London hit him with an out-and-up. He didn’t even run with London until it was way too late and he realized there was no help over the top. That’s a classic coverage bust, leaving Penix a wide-open window. The drive didn’t even end with a touchdown, thanks to a holding penalty and a two-yard tackle for loss by Javon Bullard on Brian Robinson. But Nick Folk still hit a 31-yard field goal, making it 27-7 with 10:57 left. That effectively sealed the game right there. Brutal.
London Just Kept Piling It On
To their credit, Green Bay tried to fight back. Jordan Love connected with Matthew Golden for a 15-yard touchdown on a slant, cutting the lead to 27-14 with 8:18 left. But any momentum they hoped to build evaporated instantly. The Falcons responded immediately, driving right back down the field. After Bijan Robinson picked up four yards on another third-and-2, London was at it again, hauling in a 40-yard pass that put Atlanta on the Packers’ 13-yard line.
This second huge play was different, though. It wasn’t about a coverage bust; it was pure skill. London just flat-out beat tight coverage from cornerback Keisean Nixon. It was a contested pass, and Nixon ended up on the ground. That shows you what kind of day London was having: he was getting it done no matter what.
The Packers’ defense has to look at these plays and figure out how in the world they let one receiver go for nearly 200 yards, with two plays specifically accounting for more than half of that. When plays like those 68 and 40-yarders happen, it kills your momentum and gives the opponent a huge boost. They need to clean up those coverage issues fast if they want to avoid seeing more wide-open receivers tearing them apart.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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