NFL Week 16 Recap: Atlanta Falcons 34, New York Giants 7

Michael Penix Jr.‘s first NFL start kept the Atlanta Falcons alive in their quest for a postseason berth. The first-round signal-caller didn’t make any big-time throws or turnover-worthy plays in his team’s 34-7 trouncing of the woeful New York Giants, but he did enough — albeit conservatively — to will Atlanta to its eighth win of the season.

The Falcons’ defense and Drew Lock‘s two pick-sixes were the true catalysts for victory, however. Jessie Bates III and Matt Judon each found the end zone on interceptions, and Atlanta cruised to a win with the Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers remaining on the schedule.

PFF’s dedicated team of graders was hard at work, analyzing every player on every play in real time. The grades and data will be available after a thorough review tomorrow at noon ET.

In the meantime, we’ve gathered some high-level data and snap counts from the game to give you an early look. Our expert graders have also nominated the standout player of the game, highlighting exceptional performance on the field.

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HIGHEST-GRADED PLAYERS

Note: Follow along with PFF’s in-game grading as our analysts evaluate every player on every play in real time! Grades will then be relocked 90 minutes after the final whistle as our first-run analysis is reviewed.

Click here to see PFF’s initial grades from this game!

PLAYER OF THE GAME

Chris Lindstrom allowed one pressure on 30 pass-blocking snaps and paved the way for Bijan Robinson in the run game. He earned a positive grade on 37.5% of his run-blocking snaps, pending review, and helped Robinson notch 90-plus rushing yards for the fourth straight game.

ADVANCED BOX SCORE