For all of the reasons the Atlanta Falcons were excited to bring in a new regime this offseason, bringing in a coaching staff who could unlock Michael Penix Jr. has to have been near the top of the list after former Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson nearly butchered his development.
The fact of the matter is that Robinson and Penix never meshed. He intended for the offense to operate out of the pistol, but his strengths were under center as a play-action passer. That in itself should make it clear it was destined to fail, and Penix never truly looked comfortable in his system.
But when the Falcons hired Kevin Stefanski from Cleveland, he brought along his own play-caller in OC Tommy Rees. And in just one game coaching the former top-10 pick, we already saw him do more to help his development than his predecessor did in 12 games with him across the last two seasons.
In the 35-14 victory over the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night, the return of a competent quarterback ignited Atlanta's offense. And while the 500 yards of total offense are impressive, the biggest change we saw under Rees was the fact that he catered his offense to his QB's strengths.
The Atlanta Falcons finally have an OC who knows how to utilize Michael Penix Jr.
While Robinson tried to fit a round peg into a square hole, Tommy Rees was aware of the opportunity he had in front of him. He knew Michael Penix Jr. would be better under center, so he lined up under center for a career-high 35 snaps against the Packers--much higher than his previous high of eight.
Despite throwing an early interception, Rees didn't lose faith in his young quarterback--he was just easing him into the system in his first game action in this new system. However, Penix improved as the game went on, and being able to open up the playbook and dial up play-action helped him and Drake London enjoy big nights at Lambeau Field.
Off Penix's big night alone, it's safe to say the decision to hire Rees (which for a while wasn't aging well) is aging beautifully. He's innovative enough to help develop with the 26-year-old, he played recently enough to be an up-and-comer in the industry, and is running Stefanski's scheme--which Penix is a perfect fit for. Now that he has solid QB play and play-calling, this team will be competitive.
Meanwhile, if you needed any more proof of who the better play-caller is, things aren't going as swimmingly for Robinson despite not having Penix to blame anymore.
After the Falcons opted not to bring him back with this new regime, the 39-year-old somehow got another opportunity to call plays. Thanks to his past coaching Baker Mayfield and with Liam Coen, he was hired as the OC of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but suffice it to say, he hasn't been another Coen.
The Bucs are currently 0-3, are tied for the worst record in football, and the offense (despite the talent it possesses) has been dismal.
Tampa Bay's offensive EPA rankings (per SumerSports)
- EPA per play: -0.23 (32nd in NFL)
- Total EPA: -40.27 (31st in NFL)
- EPA success rate: 37.08% (30th in NFL)
- EPA per pass:-0.33 (31st in NFL)
- EPA per rush: 0.06 (12th in NFL)
They are within the bottom three in the NFL of four of those five advanced metrics, and Baker Mayfield has just two touchdown passes in three games. And while they have had their bright moments, they for the most part have struggled to capitalize despite hardly running the pistol.
It's too early for the Falcons to be victory lapping the Tommy Rees hire after one start with Michael Penix Jr., but all of the evidence from this weekend should confirm they are a better match than Penix and Zac Robinson-- which finally has him looking like a franchise quarterback.
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