ATLANTA — The Atlanta Falcons beat the Buffalo Bills in a "Monday Night Football" showdown inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, stringing together their first set of back-to-back wins in 2025.

Final score: 24-14

Why it's important: The Falcons improved their overall record to 3-2 and proved they can hang with — and beat — the Bills, who are considered one of the best teams in the NFL and led by the reigning MVP. Talk about a confidence boost, especially now that Atlanta is riding back-to-back wins into another tough matchup Sunday against the 4-2 San Francisco 49ers on the road.

Key takeaway: The Falcons' defense stood its ground, remaining the only unit in the NFL that has kept every opponent to 300 yards or fewer of offense. The Bills were a true test in this regard, considering they had totaled at least 356 yards of offense in every game prior to Monday. Buffalo finished with 291 yards of offense.

• Atlanta forced Buffalo into four three-and-outs. The Bills had never had more than two in a game this season.

Standout performance: Dee Alford. The Falcons cornerback filled in for the injured Billy Bowman Jr. at the nickel position. Alford intercepted Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the second quarter on a first-and-10 play that began and ended Buffalo's last drive in its own territory before halftime. Alford also sacked Allen earlier in the second quarter on a third-and-8 play in Atlanta territory. The Bills punted afterward.

• Alford filled in for starting cornerback A.J. Terrell Jr. in the previous two games for the Falcons, too. Terrell had been dealing with a hamstring injury but returned to action in Week 6. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said in the lead-up to Monday's game, "I thought Dee Alford did an amazing job. He's done a great job for us, and he'll continue to have a big part of this defense."

Number to know: 238. The number of scrimmage yards Falcons running back Bijan Robinson totaled, which is the second most by any NFL player this season — 1 yard shy of Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle's output in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys.

Player milestone:

• Wide receiver Drake London recorded five receptions for 64 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter. It was his most receptions and yards in a first quarter of his career. He has also now scored at least one touchdown in six of his eight career prime-time games.
• Running back Bijan Robinson had 138 rushing yards in the first half, marking the first time in his career he has topped at least 100 rushing yards in any half. That gives him at least 100 scrimmage yards in all five games this season, which ties Falcons running back William Andrews' start to the 1983 season as the longest such streak to begin the year in team history.
• Monday was the first game in team history in which the Falcons had a player with at least 100 rushing yards and a touchdown (Robinson) and another with at least 100 receiving yards and a touchdown (London) in a single half. Then, it became the first game in team history in which the Falcons had a player with at least 150 rushing yards and another with at least 150 receiving yards. Again, those accolades go to Robinson and London, respectively.

Injury updates:

• Left tackle Jake Matthews injured his ankle late in the second quarter and was ruled out for the remainder of the game just before the third quarter began. Monday marked Matthews' 183rd consecutive start, the longest active streak in the NFL. Michael Jerrell, who was acquired through an August trade from the Seattle Seahawks, filled in for Matthews along the offensive line.

Key moment: Falcons running back Bijan Robinson busted out the longest run of his career early in the second quarter, turning the Falcons' one-score lead into two since he made it to the end zone. He not only avoided being tackled by Bills safety Cole Bishop along the sideline but also kept control enough to remain in bounds. It was an 81-yard touchdown run for the third-year player looking to improve his explosive plays in 2025.

• Robinson's 81-yard run marks the longest by any NFL player so far this season.
• It marked the third rushing touchdown of at least 80 yards in Falcons history.

A quick tweet: The Falcons editorial staff of Tori McElhaney, Will McFadden and Terrin Waack share their gut reactions to Monday's outcome in 280 characters or less.

• McElhaney: What Bijan Robinson has done is nothing short of a work of art.
• McFadden: That was both the most exhilarating and stress-inducing game I've experienced in awhile.
• Waack: DEANGELO MALONE

Setting the storylines:

• The Falcons were without their Nos. 2 and 3 wide receivers. Darnell Mooney was ruled out in Saturday’s game report. Ray-Ray McCloud III was ruled inactive as a healthy scratch prior to Monday's kickoff.
• Atlanta elevated cornerback Keith Taylor and wide receiver Deven Thompkins from the practice squad for this game. The Falcons hadn't used a standard elevation in their last two games.
• The Falcons entered Week 6 boasting the No. 1 defense. However, defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich still expects more from his unit.
• Only two of the 14 NFL experts pulled each week predicted the Falcons would beat the Bills.
• Falcons safety Xavier Watts won NFL Defensive Rookie of the Month because of his work in September. Learn why Watts’ hot start doesn't surprise his Notre Dame family.
• Catch up on all the news that came out in the lead-up to Monday's game in one spot here.

Looking forward: The Falcons have a quick turnaround in Week 7, playing on the road Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. The game is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET on NBC.