In the end, the ultimate first spherical rookie QB from the 2024 NFL Draft has began in an everyday season soccer recreation.
The Atlanta Falcons turned to rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. on Sunday in opposition to the New York Giants, in the midst of a decent playoff race with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After QB Kirk Cousins left many uninspired along with his play, the flip to Penix Jr. felt prefer it needed to occur with the intention to save any hopes the Falcons had on the postseason.
The end result? An environment friendly efficiency that left the Falcons with lots to be inspired about. Penix Jr. went 18-27 for 202 yards, no touchdowns and a choose that went off TE Kyle Pitts’ fingers in essentially the most Atlanta Falcons method of all time. Penix completed with a 53% Success Fee, which is extremely good for a rookie QB in his first profession begin, and likewise managed to impress his head coach. Per the Atlanta Falcons on SI’s Daniel Flick:
“The plan got here a bit of bit sooner, however the child was prepared,” Morris stated postgame. “We had a number of time to develop him. The child did an important job himself [of] creating himself and preparing for that second the place it wasn’t too huge.
So, what stood out about Penix Jr’s efficiency that has everybody speaking? Let’s dig in and see.
Whereas it wasn’t a efficiency filled with fireworks, I truly imagine it’s the little issues that Penix Jr. did that impressed me essentially the most. The rookie regarded calm and composed all through the sport, and executed at a stage that isn’t like many rookies of their first profession begin, regardless of what the uncooked numbers will inform you. Sure, it was in opposition to the New York Giants, however there was some actually encouraging stuff from each Penix Jr and the Falcons.
To begin off, there was rather more play motion and bootlegs on this offense than when Cousins was beneath middle. As a result of each age and his restoration from an Achilles damage, Cousins simply wasn’t in a position to transfer on the stage he must be at with the intention to function this offense, so Penix with the ability to get this offense working how a McVay offense (Zac Robinson comes from the Rams and McVay) ought to work is essential to their success. In truth, the primary play of the sport was play motion, a bit of half roll to Penix Jr.’s left with WR Drake London peeling again to assist in safety.
Penix Jr. will get whacked as he releases this ball, however you possibly can see the RPM’s he places on the ball. McCloud has to drag this one in, however it’s a superb throw that exhibits off how totally different the offense goes to look from a goal and warmth map perspective, buying and selling in a few of Kirk’s finest worth over the center of the sector for some extra variance on the surface with a stronger armed Penix Jr.
That is one other one which exhibits off simply how spectacular Penix Jr.’s arm is. It’s a deep play motion drop with seven-man safety, and WR Darnell Mooney is operating a deep out route and WR Drake London has a dig path to the bottom. Penix takes his drop after the play faux, and rips an absolute laser to Mooney over the outstretched fingers of the beneath defender. It’s important to have a excessive stage of confidence in each your arm and your timing to get this ball up and down earlier than Mooney reaches the sideline, and Penix Jr. fires it in there to maneuver the chains.
It’s a dangerous throw, sure, however that exterior the numbers explosiveness has been one thing the Falcons have been lacking with Cousins beneath middle.
This is perhaps his finest throw of the day. One other play motion try with a basic go route/submit/something to maintain that nook’s eyes on you mixed with a deep over route from the opposite facet. What I like about this go is that it exhibits off Penix Jr.’s superior information of leverage and timing. He throws this ball behind his receiver, however it’s not an inaccurate go. Quite, it’s a strategy to defend his receiver from the beneath defender attempting to get again into the play.
If Penix Jr. leads this ball, the receiver may get crushed by this defender, or the play ends in a go breakup or interception. It’s one of these very nice, high-IQ issues that Penix Jr. was doing on Sunday which have me extra impressed than something.
The place his high-IQ and really feel for the sport actually impressed me was in his normal dropback operation. The Giants tried to hurry him up and warmth him up with stress lots, however he regarded MUCH extra ready for that space of the sport than I anticipated, making the ceiling for this offense even increased than earlier than. Penix was pressured 14 instances on Sunday, but didn’t take a sack, which exhibits off how nicely he was beating the blitz along with his arm and his thoughts. The primary time New York tries to stress him, they present a mugged look with each linebackers standing within the A gaps. With CB Deonte Banks getting in movement with Mooney, Penix Jr. confirms that it’s man protection, however watch his processing from the top zone angle. With each linebackers approaching this blitz, he is aware of that there’s no gap defender.
Penix Jr. shortly ID’s man protection with no gap defender, and whips his head round to hit London on this in-breaker. Simply easy, environment friendly motion within the pocket.
The Giants as soon as once more attempt to trick him with a mugged look, however this time they carry the nickel and drop the bottom edge and linebacker. Penix sees the nickel blitzing and is aware of the dropping linebacker has to exchange the place the blitz got here from, and throws it proper the place the dropping linebacker was once. The quickness that he was processing issues at was spectacular on Sunday, and it’s a testomony to the preparation he and the Falcons’ offensive braintrust put in.
Even the delicate understanding of leverage and spacing in opposition to these stress appears was so spectacular. With the movement on this play by Pitts widening out the nickel, he is aware of that the Giants are in zone protection, however that would depart the bottom mugged linebacker one-on-one with RB Bijan Robinson. He shortly will get this ball to Robinson and the Falcons virtually rating on the play. It’s small, however it’s these little issues that the Falcons have been lacking that prohibited the offense from transferring at an environment friendly stage. Penix introduced that effectivity, elevating the ground, but additionally flashed the arm energy exterior the numbers, elevating the ceiling.
Even this throw to Mooney is finished with such good timing and tempo. Penix makes use of the movement to ID man protection, however this time there’s a gap defender. He holds that gap defender to the fitting lengthy sufficient to open a window for Mooney, then whips again left and throws a dart. The easy, little issues that he did in his debut was actually spectacular, and has me excited.
After all, he gained’t get the power to face the Giants each week, however what Penix Jr. did on Sunday was very encouraging. The arm energy and play motion stuff was enjoyable, however it’s the stress work he did that basically obtained me hyped for the place this could go. Because the Falcons make a remaining push for postseason play, I’ll be curious to see how rather more they provide Penix Jr. when it comes to downfield passing with the intention to ramp him up.
So far as debut grades go, I’d give it an A. It was an environment friendly day that didn’t have many fireworks, however it’s that effectivity that’s gonna preserve the offense on schedule, whereas including the explosives afterward.