The Atlanta Falcons suffered a gut-wrenching defeat in Week 1 after Younghoe Koo missed a 44-yard field goal to send the game to overtime. They had the Buccaneers on the ropes and dropped the ball at the final moment, which was a tough pill for Falcons fans to swallow.
But in the face of a difficult loss, head coach Raheem Morris couldn’t help but rave about the performance of Michael Penix Jr, who firmly established himself as the Dirty Birds’ new franchise quarterback. The 25-year-old lefty looked unfazed in the home opener, completing 27 of 42 passes for 298 yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing score.
And when addressing the media after the game, the second-year coach gave his QB1 the flowers he deserves for almost leading Atlanta to their third straight victory over their division rivals.
“I can't say enough positive things about that young man and what he’s able to do,” Morris said.
The Michael Penix Jr hype train is exploding despite the Week 1 loss
After the game, Baker Mayfield was quick to tip his cap to Penix Jr. The 30-year-old admitted to the media that he told the former Heisman runner-up he would be “a problem in this league for a long time”.
Penix was forced to play hero ball in Week 1 due to the Falcons’ run game struggling all afternoon. Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier combined for just 48 yards on the ground on 22 carries as Tampa Bay’s run defense gave Zac Robinson’s offensive problems.
It wasn’t a perfect formula, but it led to Penix rising to the occasion—and almost leading them to victory. But just because it happened once doesn't mean they believe they can sustain that on a week-to-week basis.
“He was just lights out,” Morris told ESPN’s Marc Raimondi. “We’ve got to help that kid in the running game.”
Even without Darnell Mooney, Penix looked beyond his years out there. Despite Robinson’s lack of production on the ground, Penix was responsible for the second 100-yard receiving game of the 23-year-old’s career—and it led to him out-gaining both Drake London and Kyle Pitts.
For a fanbase that has been desperate for stability under center since the Matt Ryan era, Penix’s season opener was everything they could have hoped for and then some. If you think Morris is excited for what’s to come, the fanbase might just have him beat.
The loss stings, but the bright lights of Sunday Night Football against a fierce Vikings defense will be the ultimate litmus test for Penix to prove to the nation that Atlanta has found its franchise quarterback—and it’ll be a challenging task on the road.