3 takeaways from Michael Penix Jr.'s subpar Week 7 against the 49ers

After shining against the Bills on Monday Night, Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons' offense fell back down to earth in Week 7 against the San Francisco 49ers. For the first time since Week 3, the Dirty Birds lost, falling to the 49ers 20-10 on Sunday Night Football after Christian McCaffrey shined.

Penix completed 21-of-38 passes for 241 yards and a touchdown, but also lost a fumble in the second quarter. The numbers don't look too shabby, but this was a far cry from the poise displayed from the second-year pro in his last two starts—and the inconsistency is a concern.

There were still some positive takeaways from his performance, but it served as a much-needed reminder that the learning curve is not yet finished. And with that said, here are the three biggest takeaways from his performance in the loss.

3 takeaways from Michael Penix Jr.'s subpar Week 7 against the 49ers

1. The play-calling needs to improve (especially before halftime)

Last week, Penix nearly led the Falcons to a masterful touchdown drive to cap off the first half, but it was ultimately determined that Drake London stepped out of bounds inside the one-yard line. It was costly, but luckily, Atlanta still found a way to win.

Last night, the 25-year-old led an impressive drive until an intentional grounding call halted all momentum and ended the first half. A lot of these issues can be chalked up to coaching, as Raheem Morris is notoriously awful when it comes to clock management, but Zac Robinson is also to blame.

Robinson failed to prepare for a San Francisco pass rush that was missing Nick Bosa, and that proved costly. Bryce Huff lived in the backfield, and it was quickly evident that Penix looked rattled whenever Robert Saleh brought pressure—which saw him struggle without the crutch of the run game.

2. The learning curve is far from over

After Penix followed up the worst start of his NFL career with two of his best, it was looking like he was turning a corner. Instead, he took yet another step backwards against the 49ers—which is far from what fans were hoping to see on national TV.

The run game sputtered, as Bijan Robinson was held to just 40 rushing yards on 2.9 yards per carry, which saw the entire offense regress. London's 42 receiving yards marked his lowest output of the season, though both Darnell Mooney and Kyle Pitts impressed.

Penix is just nine starts into his career, so there will be growing pains, but his response to San Francisco taking away the run game was far from promising. Luckily, a date with the porous Dolphins secondary is on tap.

3. This is why the Falcons kept Kirk Cousins

The biggest storyline of the game was the minor injury the Washington product suffered in the fourth quarter. After a fumble was overturned, he visibly displayed pain in his foot/ankle, but remained in the game despite the Falcons playing from behind.

Penix himself admitted that he was just rolled up on, but the vague update makes it a storyline to monitor. The Kirk Cousins trade market has slowed down considerably to the point where Atlanta feels comfortable keeping him, even if there is no quarterback controversy.

Cousins was solid as Atlanta's starter in 2024 while rehabbing a torn Achilles, but threw a career-high in interceptions. However, Penix's injury scare should remind fans why Terry Fontenot controversially opted to keep the four-time Pro Bowler while trade interest was flowing.

It's always good to have a backup you can trust, and Kirko Chainz is just that should QB1 miss any time (which is unlikely). And that's why a trade is not expected before the looming deadline.