theathleticuk
Michael Penix Jr.'s rookie NFL season concluded on a high note, even though it took the 26-year-old left-hander parts of three college campaigns and over two years to reach this point. The Falcons' 29-20 upset of the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday marked Penix's 17th start since being selected No. 8 overall in the 2024 draft, a tenure initially disrupted by sharing snaps with Kirk Cousins and later by an ACL tear.
After a rocky beginning, Penix has found his rhythm. Since reclaiming the starting role in Week 3, Atlanta leads the NFL in scoring at 31.0 points per game, while Penix ranks fourth in passer rating (109.1), ninth in completion percentage (66.7%), and tenth in EPA per dropback (.13) over that stretch.
Coaching Staff Sees Steady Improvement
Head coach Kevin Stefanski attributed Penix's progress to accumulated experience. "Any player gets better with more turns," Stefanski said Monday. "I think for any quarterback, the more experience you have going up against different defenses and getting put in different situations can only benefit you, and I think that's what I see from Mike is stacking these games, both in a literal sense, you know, the wins and those types of things, but also stacking all these experiences and learning from them."
The Falcons hold a 3-2 record in Penix's five starts this season and are 7-10 in his career as a starter. Safety Jessie Bates offered a strong endorsement: "When No. 9 is out there, this is a completely different football team. I really, truly believe he's a franchise quarterback. You can sleep good at night as a defensive guy when you have Michael Penix playing quarterback for you."
Penix has thrown nine touchdowns against just one interception this season, giving him the second-best ratio in the league. Stefanski emphasized the importance of ball security: "The quarterbacks that don't let the other team touch it, that's a big deal in this league. You're going to throw interceptions. It's an occupational hazard. It's going to happen. You have to understand when you're gonna take a chance and let it rip into a tight window because that's what the game calls for and when you're gonna check it down. I just think there's such a feel for that."
Under Stefanski and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees, Penix's style has evolved. In his first two years, he ranked ninth in air yards per target (8.4); this season, he is 31st (7.0), though he sits seventh in yards per completion (12.1) thanks to his receivers' yards after the catch. Running back Bijan Robinson noted, "I think his confidence has grown a lot. That's been the biggest thing, I think, the confidence that he's built has been something that's been really impressive."
Jessie Bates Follows in Rod Woodson's Footsteps
As the Falcons rewarded their young offensive stars with contract extensions this offseason, they appeared to take a wait-and-see approach with the 29-year-old Bates. His recent play has been impressive. Against the 49ers, Bates recorded an interception and a forced fumble, marking his sixth career game with both. According to CBS Sports researcher Doug Clawson, only Hall of Famer Rod Woodson has more such games in the last 40 years. Woodson, like Bates, graduated from Snider High School in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
"That is somebody that I've looked up to for a long time," Bates said. "I would walk down the hallway and his showcase would be right there. I could see it every single day. So that's been somebody I looked up to since I was 15, 16 years old." Since being drafted in 2018, Bates is tied with Baltimore's Marlon Humphrey for the most combined interceptions and forced fumbles (38), per TruMedia.
Stefanski praised Bates' pivotal interception: "That interception (Sunday) is as good as it gets, and we needed it at that moment. That's pretty damn good for a safety. Really proud of Jessie for being so aware of that football. He's playing at a high level." Bates is in the final year of a four-year contract paying him $24.8 million this season. Stefanski added, "I think these safeties, the quote-unquote ball hawks, which I think Jessie is one of them, the ball finds its way to them. It's not just because he's doing his job, and he is in the right spots, but like the great ones, he's got the ability to go find that football."
Big Night for Big Mace
The offseason trade that sent defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro, Atlanta's 2024 second-round pick, to Jacksonville for defensive tackle Maason Smith, the Jaguars' 2024 second-round pick, looks like a win for the Falcons after Smith's dominant performance Sunday. Smith recorded a forced fumble, a sack, two tackles for loss, and a quarterback hit against the 49ers.
"That's a man possessed, and that's a big man when he is possessed," Stefanski said. "I looked up a couple times and he is winning and he's winning quickly and harassing the offensive line and the quarterback. Mace, he was moving." Smith has 14 quarterback pressures and a sack this season. "Just some of the plays started to fall for me," he said after the game. "Just praying to God and everything fell into place today." Orhorhoro has one sack and one quarterback hit in six games with Jacksonville.
Holiday Celebration
All four Falcons tight ends played at least 21 snaps on Sunday, celebrated as National Tight Ends Day, combining for 10 catches, 54 yards, and two touchdowns. The highlight was four-year veteran Nick Muse, primarily a special-teamer, catching a 1-yard touchdown on his second career target.
"For all of us to be involved was pretty cool to see," said Kyle Pitts, who has 15 catches for 124 yards and four touchdowns over the last three games. Charlie Woerner led the group with 49 snaps, followed by Pitts (38), Austin Hooper (29), and Muse (21). "It's a fun room. We are just enjoying the time. It doesn't matter who gets the credit," Muse said. "As long as we win, it doesn't matter. No one cares about the glamour of it. I have more fun when Bijan (Robinson) runs off my butt for 50 yards than catching the ball. I just like being around the guys."
The Falcons rank fifth in the NFL in 12 personnel snaps (one running back, two tight ends) with 124 and seventh in 13 personnel snaps (one running back, three tight ends) with 59. "We have the ability to get into a bunch of different personnel groupings, and obviously we have four tight ends we really trust in this offense," Stefanski said.
Extra Points
Atlanta's plus-four turnover margin on Sunday tied for its best mark since the 2000 season, according to TruMedia. Za'Darius Smith leads the Falcons with 4.5 sacks (tied for 11th in the league) despite playing only 98 snaps, the 20th-most on defense. Drake London caught his first touchdown pass of the season in the fourth quarter. "Honestly, I am just happy about the W, I could care less about all that other stuff," he said. He now has 23 career touchdowns. Khalil Herbert's 28 scrimmage yards were his second-most since 2025 when he played for the Cincinnati Bengals; he also had two kickoff returns for 65 yards. "Herb, he did amazing," Robinson said. "He came in on short notice and didn't slow nothing down in the room. He's a pros pro. I appreciate him. I swear he scored on that (long run), I don't know what they were talking about."
Originally reported by theathleticuk.