The Atlanta Falcons have been forced to confront a controversial fact after their loss to the Bengals 34-14 in Week 9. Michael Penix Jr. has a pressure problem and the league is starting to take notice. And since the issue is recurring, opposing teams are starting to figure out how to stop him.
After his 4-interception outing in the 16-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 8, Penix told Falcons reporter Tori McElhaney "I have to protect the ball. That's the only way to win games." He followed that up saying he's going to "shake back up."
Unfortunately he didn't seem to. Penix went 20-of-31 (64.5%), for 162 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and an interception, while adding a career-high 50 yards on the ground against the Bengals in 17-point loss in Madrid.
The Falcons struggled to put points on the board, only mustering 14 offensive points on the game. Multiple sources blamed to lack of discipline, pointing out that the Falcons sustained seven offensive penalties during the game that hindered play in crucial moments, while others pointed a different direction entirely: his play under pressure.
According to ESPN research, Penix went 1-of-9 passing for -3 yards and an interception while under pressure against the Bengals. On top of that, Penix has only completed 18% of passes against pressure all season which ranks the lowest in the history of ESPN tracking since it started in 2009.
When asked about the struggles Penix has been facing over the year Kevin Stefanski told Falcons reporters "he feels that Penix's accuracy isn't something he's concerned about. Said it's more about the offense as a whole finding the explosive plays off the pressure." Per Tori McElhaney.
Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons are going to face a test against the Chiefs defense
And as a tough matchup with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs looms, they need him to handle the pressure to propel the Dirty Birds to another upset victory later today. The secondary is banged up, so if he has time to deliver the strikes we know he's able to, it could result in a W.
Michael Penix Jr spoke on the combo coverages and pressure looks that he expects to see against the Chiefs, telling reporters, "I have to play fast", and "use my legs to extend a play to, make a play that's not so good, at least keep us in manageable situations." He finished his thought saying, "So, for me as a quarterback, I got to make sure I help us stay in the game".
Kansas City's defense ranks 16th in blitz rate at 27.7%, 20th in heavy sets at 24.8%, and 21st in pressure rate at 34.9% per Sharp Analysis. This puts into perspective the lack of pressure the Chiefs are achieving. To add on top of that Kansas city sits at 29th in sacks according to Fox Sports.
Contrary to popular belief, Atlanta's line has held up all year. Atlanta's line leads the league in pressure rate allowed with and without the blitz at 28.6% and 24.3% respectively. The better news is that the Chiefs' 18.3% pressure rate (per Stat Rankings) across the last three games is 31st in the NFL.
The weight now shifts to Michael Penix Jr. as Atlanta prepares to face the Kansas City Chiefs in a game that could define their endgame as a tough stretch looms. Hopefully he can handle the pressure a bit better.
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