The Michael Penix Jr era.
Michael Penix Jr started the last three games of the season and he did not disappoint. His box score numbers are not eye-popping, but for those who watched the games he was special. He had 737 yards (245.6 yards per game), three touchdowns and three interceptions. Two of his interceptions hit his targets in the hands and were then juggled into the opponents' hands. The other interception, his WR ran the wrong route. Arguably none of his interceptions are his fault, but at least two of the three are not his fault.
The biggest thing with Penix has been how clutch he has been. In the Commanders game, the Falcons had a 1st-and-goal at the five with 2:19 left down a touchdown. The Falcons ran a wildcat play with Bijan Robinson under center and Drew Dalman sailed the snap over his head and the play went for a 21-yard loss. The Falcons now have three plays to get 26 yards or their season is over. He delivers, and on 4th-and-goal from the 13 he delivers a perfect strike to Kyle Pitts to tie the game.
The Falcons' defense forces the 3-and-out and Penix now has the chance to lead a game-winning drive with 40 seconds remaining. On 1st down from the Falcons' 19, he throws a dot to Darnell Mooney for 25 yards. Raheem Morris for some odd reason does not call a timeout, wasting precious clock. The Falcons end up getting a 56-yard FG attempt which Riley Patteson leaves short. Penix Jr's first should have been game-winning drive is ruined by poor clock management.
In the Panthers game, Penix Jr had 300+ yards, two passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown. He looked like a genuine star. Once again he delivered in clutch moments. The Falcons had the ball at their own 19 with 40 seconds to go in a tied-ball game. The Falcons have for the most part sucked in the two-minute drill this season. Facing a 2nd-and-10 from their own 38, Penix Jr has Clowney all over him. If he takes the sack, that basically takes the game to halftime with a 17-17 tie. Instead, he somehow escapes and throws a pass to Bijan Robinson which hits him in the hands but ultimately ends up incomplete.
The very next play, on 3rd-and-10, Penix Jr hits Ray-Ray McCloud on a 42 yard bomb. Two plays later the Falcons are in the endzone.
On his second touchdown pass of the afternoon Penix Jr hits London on a 21-yard strike where he threads the needle beautifully on 3rd-and-21.
For those keeping track at home, Penix Jr has thrown touchdowns on 4th-and-13 and 3rd-and-21. Unfortunately, the Falcons lost both of the last two games because they did not get the ball back in either overtime game.
Penix Jr seems like the real deal, and while he does struggle with accuracy at times, he can sling the rock. The accuracy issues seem more like timing issues, as Penix Jr and Raheem Morris have both admitted Penix Jr has had very limited time to work with the first team offense and only started throwing passes tot them two and a half weeks ago.