Tag: michael penix

Michael Penix Jr. validated the Falcons’ faith in him with one beautiful, clutch drive

With the game on the line, Penix stood tall. It didn’t lead to a win, but it’s a source of hope for the Falcons.

Michael Penix Jr. could have crumbled.

A pair of negative plays outside his control threatened the Atlanta Falcons’ comeback effort against the Washington Commanders. Between a phantom holding call and a botched snap, he’d have to overcome multiple fourth-and-long situations — and the Commanders’ string of long, clock-grinding second half drives — to give his team a chance to keep its place atop the NFC South.

If things went south, Penix could have hung his hat on an otherwise decent performance for a player making his second NFL start. But that’s not what Michael Penix did. Instead, he felt the weight the Falcons placed on his shoulders by drafting him eighth overall two months after signing Kirk Cousins to a $180 million contract. Then he lifted it up over his head. Clean rep. Tie game.

This was not an easy throw to make. Washington understood the assignment. It brought a four-man rush (after showing blitz) and then dropped seven defenders between the five-yard line and the middle of the end zone. Only a true laser beam would be able to penetrate a blanket of man coverage. There was only a split second between safety Percy Butler passing Kyle Pitts off to safety Jeremy Chinn behind him.

The quality here isn’t great, but you get the idea:

via NBC

That ball has to be perfectly timed, thrown to a precise spot and high enough to clear one defender and low enough that Pitts can use his body to shield the ball from Chinn. That’s exactly what it was.

If dots are more your thing, well:

It was a beautiful play, but maybe one we should have expected from a player whose composure doesn’t reflect a rookie in his second career start but the guy who led the University of Washington to an 8-0 record in one possession games last winter. After all, five plays earlier he pulled off a 31-yard gain on fourth-and-11.

That play isn’t impressive in and of itself, but it’s a big deal in context. The Falcons defense spent the entirety of the second half being figured out. A 17-7 lead turned into a 24-17 deficit with fewer than five minutes to play. The Commanders grew wise to Atlanta’s defensive stunts and opted not to push their luck against a high performing A.J. Terrell, who locked down Terry McLaurin in coverage.

That led Atlanta to get crushed by former teammate Olamide Zaccheaus (eight catches, 85 yards, one touchdown) and a 34-year-old Zach Ertz (six catches, 72 yards, two touchdowns) with cameo appearances from Jamison Crowder, John Bates and Chris Rodriguez. When Penix got the ball back with 4:50 to play, Washington had run 39 second half plays to the Falcons’ nine. The Commanders held the ball for 20:20 after halftime. Atlanta’s time of possession was a scant 5:08, gaining 14 total yards in the process.

Rather than accept an impending Falconing, Penix looked up at the football gods and whispered “not today.” Or, at least, “not yet.” With the game on the line, he found a new gear. The rookie had only thrown seven passes that traveled at least 15 yards downfield to that point and completed as many to Commanders’ defenders (one) as his own players.

But with the green light late in the game, he saved his best for last. He even moved his offense into position for a 56-yard game winning field goal with two seconds on the clock thanks to a deep strike to Darnell Mooney and a pass interference penalty seconds later.

This didn’t matter. Riley Patterson’s game-winning kick fell short. Atlanta lost the coin toss and Washington capped off its fourth scoring drive in five second half/overtime attempts with a third-and-goal Ertz touchdown. The Commanders won 30-24 and left the Falcons needing help from the New Orleans Saints — a team that lost to the Las Vegas Raiders by 15 points in Week 17 — to keep their postseason hopes alive.

Penix’s performance adds a sheen of optimism to that. The raw numbers aren’t great; 19 of 35 for 223 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The advanced stats aren’t great either. He was responsible for only 1.9 expected points added and had a completion percentage over expected of -4.8. He was decidedly outplayed by fellow rookie Jayden Daniels.

But Penix answered the call when Atlanta needed him most. He stood up in the clutch and almost single-handedly reversed the tide of Sunday night’s game. Forces outside his control put him behind the eight ball. They led to the Falcons’ downfall. When his team needed a hero, however, Penix was there.

Not bad for a guy making his second NFL start.

Falcons vs Commanders will feature NFL rookie history

Falcons vs Commanders will feature NFL rookie history with first-round rookie QBs starting against one another

When the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Commanders take to the field on Sunday night in Week 17, they will make some surprising NFL history. The game in Washington will feature two first-round rookie quarterbacks squaring off.

Somewhat incredibly, the matchup between Atlanta’s Michael Penix and Washington’s Jayden Daniels will mark the first time in NFL history that two first-round rookies start in the same game. NBS Sports pointed out the unlikely fact with a great graphic on social media to help promote the game on the network.

There have been a couple of instances where two first-round rookies have gone against one another in the same game, most recently Baker Mayfield vs. Sam Darnold back in 2018. In that game, Darnold started for the New York Jets but Baker Mayfield came off the bench to replace Tyrod Taylor for Cleveland.

Michael Penix reveals funny way he learned he was Atlanta’s new starting QB

Michael Penix reveals the funny way he learned he was Atlanta’s new starting QB ahead of Week 16

The Atlanta Falcons ruffled a few feathers when they selected Washington QB Michael Penix with the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. After all, they’d just signed veteran Kirk Cousins to a very lucrative free agent deal. Using a top-10 pick on a player who might not play for two seasons was certainly an interesting decision for Atlanta.

That timeline is now accelerated, thanks to Cousins’ repeated issues with ball security and general ineffectiveness. This week, Penix will make his first NFL start for the Falcons against the New York Giants.

Penix found out about the promotion to the starting lineup in an unexpected way–and place.

“I was actually shopping. I was shopping with my girlfriend. We were at Costco and I got the call,” Penix told reporters. “They told me I was going to be the starting quarterback for the rest of the season.”

Penix continued,

“As you can imagine, it was some nerves, It was excitement, but I’m just super blessed to be in this position. Super blessed to be on this team for the opportunity.”

So what was Penix doing at Costco?

“Oh man, so I was actually getting a hotdog and whenever I got the call I wasn’t hungry no more. I was at Costco, I needed groceries.”

The Falcons have set up Penix for success in his first start. He’ll be facing a Giants team that hasn’t won since Week 5 and is allowing the second-highest QB Rating to opponents for the season.

Michael Penix Jr. sees first regular season action amid Falcons blowout loss to Broncos

Michael Penix Jr. sees first regular season action amid Falcons blowout loss to Broncos

It was one of the more unexpected results of the week 11 slate of games as the Denver Broncos absolutely throttled a talented Atlanta Falcons team to the tune of 38-6. Given the state of the game, Atlanta decided to give their rookie quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. some live reps as the game was clearly out of hand.

 

Seeing it was late into the contest, fans caught only a glimpse of their future franchise quarterback, but what was shown was a bit of what everyone saw during Penix’s time in Washington in his explosive arm talent. Ultimately Penix completed 2 of his 4 attempted passes for 24 yards in the closing minutes of the game.

The real question in the midst of this rookie sighting is when fans might see Penix again. The Falcons were not that long ago clear favorites to win the NFC South behind veteran Kirk Cousins, but as the losses begin to pile up in the trainwreck style they have in the last two weeks, one has to wonder if the Falcons may want to see what Penix is capable of with the talent surrounding him. It’s unlikely a swap will happen immediately, but one or two more losses on the record are bound to create a fury of questions and force the hand of the coaching staff to pull the trigger on their first-round quarterback.

Did Jessie Bates take a subtle shot at Bo Nix ahead of Broncos-Falcons game?

Falcons safety Jessie Bates went viral after he said there’s “10 years” of college film of Bo Nix, but that quote needs proper context.

Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates went viral on Friday after aggregation accounts on Twitter/X started re-sharing a video of him saying he’s been watching Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix playing at the college level for the last 10 years.

There’s some context to the quote, though.

Bates started his answer on Nix by saying the Falcons have enough NFL film to study from the QB’s time in the NFL.

“Ten games, usually, that’s enough film to really see a quarterback’s strengths or weaknesses or what they like to do,” Bates said on Friday, via Raphael Haynes of The 3 Point Conversion. “[There’s] kind of multiple years where we can go back and watch what he does. … We’ve been watching him in college for, you know, the past five or six years, however long it was.”

Media members then interjected “Ten years!” with laughter and Bates said, “Ten years, whatever it is.”

It seemed to be a harmless remark from Bates with the “10 years” quip being prompted by media in attendance.

“He’s not [like] a rookie quarterback — seems like he’s a graduate student almost,” Bates continued. “He’s doing a good job … running their offense at a high level.”

The Broncos do not view Nix’s extensive college experience as a negative. Coaches and players both said this offseason that Nix appeared more poised and polished than a typical rookie because of his college experience.

Nix spent five years at the college level before entering the NFL. Atlanta’s rookie quarterback, Michael Penix, spent six years in college.

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Jessie Bates praises Falcons rookie: ‘I know he’ll be ready’

Falcons safety Jessie Bates III expresses confidence in rookie teammate: “I know he’ll be ready”

The Atlanta Falcons addressed their biggest offseason need by signing quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract. Therefore, it came as a surprise when the team selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Penix was considered one of the most pro-ready quarterbacks in this year’s draft class, which added to the confusion around Atlanta’s decision. The former Washington Huskies QB has yet to take a regular-season snap and only appeared in one of the team’s three preseason games.

Falcons safety Jessie Bates, whose locker is next to Penix, has been impressed with how the rookie has handled himself thus far. “He’s preparing like a starter would,” Bates said about Penix.

“It’s just cool to see because it’s a weird situation for him, I’m sure, but it’s a huge learning opportunity for him to sit back and see how this whole thing goes instead of just getting thrown out there in the fire.”

“He’s super positive-minded,” Bates continued. “If you know Mike, he’s just a cool dude. Just really don’t say too much but just going against him in scout team, that’s going to make our defense — we’re going against a real deal quarterback. And he’s going against a real deal defense as well. It helps out both ways, and I know he’ll be ready when his time comes.”

After Cousins got off to a slow start, many wondered if the veteran QB was still dealing with the effects of his Achilles injury. However, he has come on strong during Atlanta’s three-game winning streak. In Week 5, Cousins won NFC Offensive Player of the Week with a 500-yard, four-touchdown performance.

Penix had a prolific final season at Washington, leading his team to the National Championship game and passing for 4,906 yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.

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Sean Payton ‘had a conviction’ about Bo Nix leading up to the draft

The Broncos scouted all of the QBs in the 2024 NFL draft and “we just had a conviction” about Bo Nix, coach Sean Payton said.

Leading up to the 2024 NFL draft, Caleb Williams was the obvious candidate to go first overall and many pundits expected Jayden Daniels to go second overall.

There was also Drake Maye, then a group of quarterbacks including J.J. McCarthy, Bo Nix and Michael Penix. The Denver Broncos‘ staff scouted all of the top QBs in this year’s class, and one stood out.

“We went through that process with all of these guys, and we had a strong conviction [about Nix],” Broncos coach Sean Payton said Wednesday. “Then it’s tuning out the white noise relative to what you’re seeing. [In] 2017, we spent hours on these players. We had a certain grade on [Alvin] Kamara. I felt it wasn’t high enough, I remember just standing up on a chair in the draft room and saying, ‘We have this guy graded.’ There’s kind of this NFL train during the draft that takes place. You don’t know really who’s driving it, and you have to pay attention to it, but you don’t ever want to get on.

“All of those guys during the process did well, whether it was Drake, or J.J., Penix. You spent a lot of time with all of them, and we just had a conviction [about Nix]. His pro-day was on a Friday, and then he had a Saturday workout with us with meetings. We just kept looking at the tape and doing our homework on it.” 

Nix was not considered a top-three QB in this year’s class by pundits, but it certainly seems that the Broncos had him ranked higher than most teams. Payton did not let the opinions of analysts and other clubs change his conviction about Nix.

“I think that’s sometimes one of the challenges during the draft, is it’s harder today to tune out for the scouts and the coaches,” Payton said. “Back in the ’70s or the ’80s, you didn’t — now there is so much information out there that even as an evaluator in the building — the scouts, the GM or a head coach — that you can sometimes hear too much, and you still really have to get back to what are the things you’re looking for? That can vary by team, and that’s good. There’s nothing wrong with that, but that was kind of the process.”

In the end, Payton picked Nix, and the quarterback went on to impress this summer before being named the starter ahead of the 2024 season. Nix ended up being the sixth QB taken in April’s draft, but Payton has implied he was the target all along. We’ll see how his career stacks up against the five other first-round QBs in the coming years.

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Michael Penix Jr. set to sit in Falcons’ final preseason game against Jaguars

Penix is healthy but sitting behind Kirk Cousins in the regular season, so it’s strange Atlanta won’t even play their first-rounder in the preseason

There has been quite frankly a lot of questions about the Atlanta Falcons decision making in the front office and by extension coaching staff ever since they took quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eight overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. That trend of odd decisions is apparently continuing as Penix is set to sit his second straight preseason game after only appearing briefly in Week 1.

Now, it’s hard to blame any NFL team for their decision-making when it comes to playing or resting particular players during the preseason process, as each time has their own preferences. It just comes off as a bit odd, given that we will likely not see Penix play at all this season, and the preseason is a nice opportunity to get the rookie some live snaps.

Atlanta, of course, sees Penix in practice every day and must be comfortable with where he stands in his development, but it certainly is a bit of a disappointment to the fans who hoped to see more of their new franchise quarterback. If all things go well in Atlanta, the next time we see Penix should be next years preseason contests.

WATCH: Every throw from Falcons rookie QB Michael Penix’s debut

WATCH: Every throw from Falcons rookie QB Michael Penix Jr.’s preseason debut

The Falcons got their first look at quarterback Michael Penix Jr. on Friday night. After a slow start, the offense came alive and Penix led the team on a touchdown drive.

The rookie finished the game with 104 passing yards and made some impressive throws in the first half. With Kirk Cousins entering the season as the uncontested starter, the preseason may be the only time we see Penix this year.

However, the rookie is already making the preseason more enjoyable to watch. Check out every throw from Penix’s professional debut, as shared by the team’s Twitter account below:

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Falcons vs. Dolphins: Best photos from Friday’s preseason opener

Falcons vs. Dolphins: Best photos from Friday’s preseason opener

The Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins held two joint practice sessions this week before facing off in Friday night’s preseason opener. The Dolphins held on for a 20-13 win despite a late drive from Nathan Rourke and the Falcons.

Quarterback Michael Penix, Ruke Orhorhoro, and the rest of the team’s draft class debuted Friday night in Miami. Check out the best photos from Week 1 of the preseason below: