3 Observations from Michael Penix Jr.'s garbage time appearance in Denver

2. Penix showed impressive poise

Taking care of the football and playing exactly as was asked there were a couple of minor takeaways from the rookie's snaps. The first was taking off and getting back to the line of scrimmage when a play broke down. Not forcing the ball but using his legs to escape the pocket and not create a negative play. Penix is far from fast and not going to create big games with his legs.

However, it was still jarring to see a quarterback in the pocket who could step up and move. Kirk Cousins has never been a scrambler but his ability to move has regressed since last season's Achilles tear. This was made all the more obvious with Penix being able to move up in the pocket and escape what could have been a big loss.

Throwing the ball away on another blown play Penix continued to show poise for a rookie. Even in a blowout loss, you have to believe the quarterback was anxious to show off. Being willing to give up on blown plays is a great sign for a young quarterback. In a tiny and meaningless sample size, it could be misleading but remains promising in a week of frustration.