FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — The Michael Penix Jr. that followers noticed final Sunday in his first NFL regular-season begin was not the one who arrived right here final April because the No. 8 total choose within the draft.
What Atlanta Falcons broad receiver Darnell Mooney noticed from Penix at first was a quarterback too wanting to let go of the ball, somebody who did not but have the endurance to excel on the subsequent stage after taking Washington to the nationwide championship sport three months prior.
“When he first received right here … he was tremendous [excited] to throw the ball, so getting it out of his hand, it was all people simply dropping the ball in all places,” Mooney mentioned.
Penix’s debut within the Falcons’ 34-7 win over the New York Giants drew rave evaluations throughout the league. Atlanta head coach Raheem Morris referred to as it an “virtually flawless” efficiency. Penix was 18-of-27 for 202 yards with one interception that was not his fault.
The superior stats made the rookie’s first outing look much more spectacular.
Penix, 24, was ninth amongst Week 16 quarterbacks in Complete Anticipated Factors Added (EPA) (6.3) and EPA per dropback (.22). He was third in success charge (55.2%), which gauges the effectiveness of each play towards its aim. The victory was solely the second by double-digits by a QB making his first begin in Falcons historical past. Matt Ryan was the opposite. However to be truthful, Penix did profit from his protection’s two pick-sixes in opposition to arguably the worst group within the NFL.
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Nonetheless, regardless of all of the positives, there was a component of what Mooney had been speaking about.
The Falcons had three dropped passes Sunday, together with a number of expensive ones. Coming into the sport, Atlanta had simply six drops all season, tied with the Los Angeles Rams for the second fewest within the NFL.
A type of dropped passes, from tight finish Kyle Pitts, resulted in an interception within the crimson zone Sunday. One other, on the sport’s first collection, from broad receiver Ray-Ray McCloud III price the Falcons a primary down.
A lot of it’s a product of the receivers getting used to a brand new quarterback. Kirk Cousins, who was benched early in Week 16, had been working with all of them going again to OTAs within the spring. That they had not labored a lot with Penix, exterior of McCloud, who’s from Tampa, like Penix, and labored out usually with the rookie within the offseason. The Falcons even signed broad receiver Chris Blair to the energetic roster final Saturday. Blair has been certainly one of Penix’s favourite targets on the scout group, going again to coaching camp. Blair had a 17-yard reception in opposition to the Giants.
Earlier than Penix’s begin, Mooney described the state of affairs as a “lack of chemistry.” Penix and the receivers did the whole lot they might to make up for it final week, by staying late after observe working collectively.
“I imply, it takes a variety of reps,” Penix mentioned. “That is the most important factor. Simply getting these reps in observe, as many reside reps as we will — and we did a variety of reps this previous week. We will proceed to develop.
“So, what you noticed there [Sunday], a pair missed throws, stuff like that. It’s only going to get higher, as we proceed to work, proceed to get extra snug with that connection.”
There was one third-down play within the first quarter when Penix had broad receiver Drake London open on a fade out of the slot. Penix overthrew it, and that one was caught in his head instantly following the sport.
“He is an enormous receiver on the market, threw the fade to him.” Penix mentioned. “I simply received to know I’ve received to get that ball up greater and he’ll make that play.
“However like I mentioned, it is simply the extra reps we get, the extra snug we’ll be with it. And sport time we’ll present it.”
The Falcons are 8-7 and management their very own future once more following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16. If Atlanta can win on the highway in opposition to the Washington Commanders on Sunday and beat the Carolina Panthers at residence in Week 18, the group will likely be within the playoffs for the primary time since 2017.
“All it’s is observe,” Morris mentioned. “The quantity of observe reps you get collectively. These guys put the additional work in final week to get the outcomes that they received this week, and I do not suppose they’re going to depart it at that this week. I feel they’re going to put the additional work on this week to attempt to get these issues performed as properly.”
Morris mentioned his favourite a part of Penix’s debut was his capability to return off the sphere and “verbalize” issues he did flawed.
“That is an indication of an grownup, that is an indication of a distinct type of maturity for us, and people are the issues for me that I actually covet,” Morris mentioned.
Penix performed 5 seasons of school soccer and has a ton of expertise. However he is nonetheless visibly a extra polished product now than he was when he got here into the constructing eight months in the past. Morris credited his teaching workers and Penix studying from Cousins for that.
“It is an ideal job by how we needed to handle it, how we wish to get him on the market,” Morris mentioned. “Like we talked about final week, the plan got here a little bit bit sooner, however the child was prepared. We had a variety of time to develop him.
“The child did an ideal job … growing himself and preparing for that second the place it wasn’t too massive, and I used to be actually proud and happy with the hassle that he was capable of go on the market and play with.”
