Michael Penix Jr. refused to throw Zac Robinson under the bus after ugly Falcons loss

The Atlanta Falcons' offense looked like an unmitigated disaster against the Miami Dolphins in Week 8. Without Michael Penix Jr and Drake London. the Dirty Birds were held to their lowest yardage total of the season, while dud performances from Bijan Robinson and Darnell Mooney certainly didn't help.

The Falcons lost 34-10, as all of the questions surrounding Zac Robinson's offensive vision have resurfaced. After Atlanta's second straight game where the offense was stifled, fans have started to call for Robinson's job, but Penix still believes in his OC and this offense to rewrite the narrative.

Atlanta can get down the field, but they're one of the worst scoring offenses in the NFL—and that didn't change with Kirk Cousins starting in Penix's place due to a bone bruise in his knee. Luckily. he's expected to return to the lineup in Week 9 against the Patriots, which could help turn the tides.

Michael Penix Jr. thinks the Falcons' offense will get it together

Cousins completed just 21-of-31 passes for 173 yards with the 25-year-old sidelined, while Atlanta's offensive line has struggled on the ground made the performance even worse. The receivers provided no sort of momentum without London, which Robinson is only partially at fault for.

The loss exposed just how badly the Falcons need depth at receiver, but that doesn't mean he's off the hook. Play-calling from the pistol formation doesn't allow the offense to run enough play-action, and that's where both Penix and Cousins thrive.

Penix has enjoyed a decent campaign in his first season as Atlanta's full-time starter, but the second-year quarterback still has a ways to go before enjoying superstardom,. Many see the play-calling as boring and predictable, which is holding him back from faring like the other QB's from his draft class.

Moreover, an offense with this much talent shouldn't be struggling this much to put points on the board, especially in the red zone. All of the pieces are in place, which is why it makes sense that a change in leadership could see the unit live up to its potential—and right now, there's no excuse.

In actuality, he's kind of right, as the offensive execution has been highly inconsistent and the flashes have been there. However, the last two weeks have seen the offense take multiple steps backward after Penix managed to out-duel Josh Allen in primetime back in Week 6, which falls on the OC.

But whether that means firing the 39-year-old, letting him leave to coach his alma mater, or just revamping the system remains yet to be seen. But Week 9 against the Patriots will be his next test to save his job, though Raheem Morris has no plans to make a coaching change—yet.