4 Atlanta Falcons fans should be watching closely in preseason week 2

1. Michael Penix Jr.

This is unlikely to change the rest of the preseason or heading into next year. Penix remains the hypothetical future and star quarterback the Falcons are missing. Yes, Kirk Cousins is more than capable but his ceiling is known. An unknown quarterback is often given more interest than a veteran who isn't a top-five starter with a known level of production.

Atlanta's fanbase is a perfect example of this as each Penix preseason throw is broken down and analyzed. While there is some value in the preseason for young players taking a cautious approach is important. It is easy to forget how great Desmond Ridder looked at times in the preseason and how that played out.

While Penix is the far more talented player the point remains that during this time of the year, the stat sheet and performance can be misleading. If there is one point of progression fans would like to see from the rookie over the next two games it is improved touch.

Last week offered a glimpse at a perfect sideline ball for a deep play. This type of touch is yet to translate into all of the rookie's throws seeing this improve in the next two weeks is sure to start a louder quarterback debate that isn't there.