ATLANTA – Michael Penix Jr. has arrived as Atlanta’s starting quarterback a little earlier than expected, but it’s hard to argue with the results: a 34-7 victory on Sunday over the New York Giants that keeps Atlanta in the hunt for a playoff berth.
Penix looked calm and confident in the pocket for most of the afternoon, and while he didn’t throw any touchdowns, he didn’t need to considering how well his defense and Bijan Robinson performed.
Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, led the Falcons to victory just days after being named the starting quarterback for the remainder of the season and presumably for the foreseeable future. Yes, he got substantial help from his defense, which claimed two pick 6s on Giants quarterback Drew Lock, but Penix showed control and poise in his first NFL start, giving the Falcons a level of hope at the quarterback position that has been in recent memory. time had seriously decreased. to soften.
Earlier this week, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris promoted Penix to the starting role after a series of ineffective games from incumbent Kirk Cousins. Penix had thrown all five passes all season this coming Sunday. His only snaps this season came late in blowout losses to the Broncos and Seahawks.
No assignment is truly “easy” in the NFL, but facing the Giants – who are very much in the running for the league’s worst team – was less of a challenge than most. Penix took advantage of a swarming Falcon defense that put 14 points on the board and held New York to just seven points in the first half and none in the second.
Although he had Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in the backfield as easy saves, Penix threw early and often, starting with his very first play from scrimmage. He showed more mobility in the pocket than Cousins had ever had, and his arm strength was evident from the jump.
Robinson served as a cheat code for Penix, carrying the ball 22 times for 94 yards and two touchdowns. Giants defenders had to respect Robinson’s ground game, which gave Penix room to move and distribute the ball among Atlanta’s arsenal of receivers.
The problem for Penix was that the Falcons receivers added a certain degree of difficulty to his debut, with three drops coming his way in the first half alone. Most egregious: Kyle Pitts juggles and then coughs up a pass at the goal line with just 16 seconds left in the first half, a play that went down in the box score as a Penix interception.
Atlanta’s defense was much more generous to Penix, gifting him 14 points and swarming Lock all afternoon. After Lock marched the Giants on a 14-play, eight-minute scoring drive, Atlanta racked up 34 straight points. Jessie Bates III and Matthew Judon both recorded pick 6s, and the Falcons simply crushed the Giants’ offense in the second half, holding New York to three punts, the second pick 6 and a turnover on downs to end the game.
Penix finished the day with respectable numbers: 18 of 27 for 202 yards and that one interception. More importantly, he didn’t do anything that would hurt the Falcons’ yardage, points or game. He remained in control and executed a tough game plan that allowed him to thrive without significant risk.
In college, Penix led the Washington Huskies all the way to the national championship game of the 2023 season before being drafted by Atlanta. His selection, which came shortly after the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year contract, drew widespread criticism from around the league. Atlanta was clearly planning a succession plan from Cousins to Penix, but probably didn’t expect it to happen just fourteen games into Cousins’ first season with the team.
The Falcons are on the outside looking into the 2024 playoff picture, thanks to the four-game skid that saw them surrender the division lead to Tampa Bay. Atlanta needs to win its final two games against Washington and Carolina and hope the Bucs slip against Dallas, Carolina or New Orleans. Wherever the Falcons go from here in 2024, Penix will lead them.
