ATLANTA — So, the Michael Penix Jr. Era has begun with a blowout.
For all the chatter we’ve heard from Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris about “the plan” for his quarterback position – sorry, Kirk Cousins – that was some ideal scheme for taking the wraps off the rookie.
Penix had his debut at Mercedes-Benz Stadium boosted by a defense that produced two pick-six touchdowns. He was supported by a rushing attack fueled by Bijan Robinson (22 carries, 94 yards, 2 TDs). And the same O-line that blew open holes in the running game provided Secret Service protection for Penix. No sacks and just two hits. Talk about taking off the pressure.
And if you’re planning a grand opening, why not bring in the New York Giants?
That bruised and battered operation was so primed to suffer a 10th consecutive loss. And they fell right in line.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Falcons 34, Giants 7.
Now that’s a plan. And some great optics for the new narrative for these Falcons (8-7), clinging to their playoff hopes for the stretch run.
Go ahead, Penix. Take a bow.
“The plan came a little bit sooner, but the kid was ready,” the energetic Morris trumpeted afterward.
Never mind the stats. Besides, Morris loves telling us, as he did again on Sunday, that “stats are for losers.”
Penix threw for 202 yards and posted a rather average 73.4 efficiency rating. He’s still waiting for his first NFL touchdown pass. And shoot, against the backdrop of the NFL-high 16 interceptions that cost Cousins his job, Penix had an interception that took his team out of scoring position. But somehow, and Morris certainly would agree, the rookie quarterback was so much better than that sampling of numbers.
“He was chill as possible,” Robinson said. “Especially in moments when we needed him to come alive.”
There were several examples of this, including a dime on a third-and-six late in the second quarter when Penix caught Darnell Mooney in stride over the middle. He waited patiently before throwing a dart that was good for 19 yards. Three plays later, Robinson broke a tackle and bounced wide left for a 4-yard TD run.
It capped an 86-yard drive that might have fizzled earlier as Penix tried to squirm away from a defender who seemingly had him nailed for a second-down sack. At the last instant, an off-balance Penix flung a throw toward Drake London that had no chance of being completed but erased any negative sack yards. See, that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, but it was a heads-up play that ultimately led to points.
“I mean, I’ve played a lot of football, I’ve been in a lot of situations before,” said Penix, 24, who led the nation in passing last season and sparked Washington to the national championship game. “I thought I should’ve broken that tackle; I should have got out of it. He had me. He was about to tackle me. I saw Drake. I knew I could throw it at his feet. So I did.’
Morris had his own way of describing such subtle instincts that can make a huge difference.
“Those are grown men, professional type plays that you like to see from your young quarterback,” Morris said.
Indeed, the mishaps were at a minimum as the Falcons converted on eight of 14 third downs (57.1%) and, in addition to the 86-yard drive, had two methodical 69-yard scoring marches that covered 12 and 16 plays.
It will get better with reps and time. That assertion comes straight from Penix, who also lamented a missed throw to the 6-4 London on a fade pattern that was broken up.
“He’s a big receiver,” Penix said. “I just know I’ve got to get that ball up higher and he’s going to make that play.”
Then again, there was no objection about Penix’s aim from Mooney, who had a team-high 82 yards on five receptions. Mooney said that in addition to the rookie’s ability to manage the flow of the game, he was most impressed with the ball placement on the throws. It’s a marked difference from the first impressions after the Falcons drafted Penix with the eighth pick in the first round.
“When he first got here, he was super horny,” Mooney said, alluding to the hot velocity on the football. “Everybody was dropping the ball everywhere. Now, he’s just chilling. He’s got some touch to it.’
No, it wasn’t perfect. If there’s one throw Penix wanted back, it was the toss to tight end Kyle Pitts just before halftime. The Falcons, out of timeouts, were positioned at the Giants’ 7-yard line with 16 seconds on the clock. Penix fired a throw that to the flat Pitts bobbled, and Cor’Dale Flott caught the pop-up interception at the goal line.
In the grand scheme, it turned out to be a harmless pick. The Falcons turned a pair of Drew Lock interceptions into touchdowns, with Jessie Bates III running the first one back 55 yards, then Matthew Judon sprinting 27 yards to pay dirt after Zach Harrison deflected the football. There was no such damage to Penix from his interception, but a precious lesson nonetheless. Next time, he pledged, he’ll be better aware of the situation. He maintained that rather than force the throw, he could have settled for an incompletion that would have set up a short field goal try.
It’s all in the details. Morris knows. The coach wouldn’t pick out a favorite play, per se, from his rookie quarterback’s debut. But he knew what impressed him. It had everything to do with connecting football minds.
“I just enjoyed the fact of him coming off the field being able to verbalize things when they went wrong,” said Morris, aided by his first-time play-caller, coordinator Zac Robinson. “And to be able to communicate those things to us very clearly. That’s a sign of an adult, a different form of maturity.”
The Falcons need to keep the mojo going. It figures that the tests will get tougher. Next up, Penix will be engaged in a matchup against the presumed NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, Jayden Daniels, for a prime-time showcase at the Washington Commanders. Of course, there’s little room for error.
With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night, the Falcons are back atop the NFC South – for now. But they’ll need to win their final two games or risk ceding control of the division again.
And that, too, is quite the plan.
Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Jarrett Bell on X @JarrettBell.
This story has been updated with new information.