The Falcoholic
There are no words that can be said to cushion the blow of losing to a divisional opponent by 30 points. There are no words that can shield Atlanta Falcons fans from the embarrassment of losing to a floundering Carolina Panthers team without scoring a single point (the only other time that happened was a 38-0 thrashing from Cam Newton in 2015). But some worthwhile lessons were learned about this team that otherwise would not have been if Sunday had turned out differently. So, let’s go ahead and get into them:
Up until Sunday, there had been moments where Michael Penix, Jr. had looked like he had less than a full season under his belt, but he had a knack for avoiding negative plays and keeping the offense moving like it needed to be. In fact, through the first two weeks, Penix, Jr. had the eighth-best success rate of any QB in the NFL, stuck between reigning MVP Josh Allen and San Francisco QB Mac Jones, who led the 49ers to a victory over the New Orleans Saints while throwing for over 275 yards and three touchdowns.
But Sunday, Penix got his true ‘Welcome to the NFL’ moment. Ejiro Evero dared Penix to attack the middle of the field, but the young gunslinger continued to work outside the numbers, leading to both of his interceptions on the day.
Teams have also forced Penix to keep his attempts closer to the line of scrimmage. Penix’s 5.1% Deep Pass Percentage is fourth-lowest, in front of only Drake Maye, Cam Ward, and Mac Jones. Two quarterbacks without vertical threats in the passing game, and a backup quarterback brought in to settle the tide until Brock Purdy returns.
Maybe against an aggressive scheme like Dan Quinn’s, Penix may have a chance to get back on track, but Penix has to prove that he can make a team pay for being too aggressive. He has to let it be known that every blade of grass is open for business. Missing open receivers over the middle of the field (yes, there were some of them) is something that has to be developed if this offense is to take the necessary steps it needs to be competitive.
But I don’t think there is much to worry about with Penix. Sunday looked rough, but I’m much more interested to see how he bounces back this week.
Through three weeks, the Atlanta Falcons’ defense is:
So, take this with a grain of salt, as the quarterbacks the Falcons have faced are Baker Mayfield in week one against a new defense without Chris Godwin, a floundering J.J. McCarthy, and Bryce Young.
But the...
