After a deflating performance in Week 8 without Michael Penix Jr., the Atlanta Falcons' offense rebounded in a major way in Week 9. The Dirty Birds might have lost 24-23, but there was a lot to be excited about—especially for an offense that has struggled mightily to put points on the board.
Just when you thought the season was over, the Falcons showed signs of life, and that started with the man under center. In the loss, Penix completed 22 of 37 passes for 221 yards and three touchdowns, which marked his first three-touchdown game of the season. And all three were caught by Drake London.
It wasn't a perfect performance by any means but it was, was a far cry from how Kirk Cousins fared against the Dolphins last weekend. With that said, here are the five biggest takeaways from Penix's performance in Week 9.
5 big takeaways from Michael Penix Jr.'s rollercoaster Week 9 against the Patriots
The knee doesn't look like a problem anymore
Penix got banged up late in Atlanta's Week 7 loss to the 49ers to the point where he was held out of last week's start as a precaution. That was proven to be a fantastic decision by Raheem Morris, as not only was the second-year quarterback able to enter the game with no injury status, he looked like himself again.
Late in the game when the Falcons needed a score, Penix wasn't scared to take off and pick up some yards on a scramble. He also had a 15-yard scamper to move the chains on second and long. It's safe to say that he's not scared to take those hits anymore.
The run game is no longer a crutch
For the third straight week, defenses adjusted to Zac Robinson's game plan in hopes of forcing the Dirty Birds to beat them through the air. Mike Vrabel's defense is the NFL's best run defense through nine weeks, so it was never going to come easy for Bijan Robinson. Especially after Vrabel gave the 23-year-old some high praise.
The Falcons were held to just 16 carries, while Bijan was held to just 46 rushing yards on 12 carries. Meanwhile, New England ran the football 33 times, so it was always going to be up to Penix if Atlanta wanted to win this game (and he nearly led them to the upset).
Zac Robinson needs to dial up more downfield shots
With the run game operating as the main identity for this Atlanta offense, it's forced offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to retool the game-plan in order to adjust. So far he hadn't and fans were growing frustrated, but the loss was the first indication that his confidence in Penix and the air attack is growing.
When Penix and London connected on a 40-yard gain in the fourth quarter, it was one of few true downfield shots the Dirty Birds connected on this season. The Falcons like their long, sustained drives, but the offense boasts the talent and explosiveness to rip off more of these chunk plays.
The 25-year-old has the arm strength, and he trusts both London and Kyle Pitts downfield, so there should be no reason not to let your young QB cook—especially if you add a receiver at the deadline.
The communication needs to improve
As good as the Washington product looked in Foxborough, there are still things that need to be improved. Late in the fourth quarter, Penix was called for a costly intentional grounding which halted Atlanta's hopes of a game-winning drive and ultimately lost the team the game.
At first glance, this was a rookie mistake, but it looked like there was more than meets the eye. Both Penix and Raheem Morris admitted postgame that the Patriots simulated the snap count which led to Ryan Neuzil snapping the ball too early, so this might be a much larger (and unrelated) issue.
The offensive line is becoming an absolute nightmare
The Falcons lost both Matthew Bergeron and Chris Lindstrom during this game due to injury, which is exposing some pretty glaring issues. Jake Matthews has been playing through a high-ankle sprain of his own, and Dwayne Ledford's group has yet to see Storm Norton make his season debut.
Even before he went down, Lindstrom struggled in pass protection. According to Pro Football Focus, he surrendered four pressures and three QB hurries, which marked his fourth straight game where one of the league's best interior linemen allowed 4+ pressures.
Even Ryan Neuzil was involved in a play that help lost Atlanta the game, so maybe Terry Fontenot looks to address the position before the trade deadline in order to protect his young QB.