In the end, the ultimate first spherical rookie QB from the 2024 NFL Draft has began in a daily 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 as a way to save any hopes the Falcons had on the postseason.
The end result? An environment friendly efficiency that left the Falcons with a lot to be inspired about. Penix Jr. went 18-27 for 202 yards, no touchdowns and a decide that went off TE Kyle Pitts’ palms in probably the most Atlanta Falcons manner 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 somewhat bit sooner, however the child was prepared,” Morris stated postgame. “We had a number of time to develop him. The child did an incredible job himself [of] growing himself and preparing for that second the place it wasn’t too large.
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 stuffed with fireworks, I really imagine it’s the little issues that Penix Jr. did that impressed me probably the most. The rookie seemed calm and composed all through the sport, and executed at a degree that isn’t like many rookies of their first profession begin, regardless of what the uncooked numbers will let you know. 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 start out off, there was far more play motion and bootlegs on this offense than when Cousins was underneath heart. Because of each age and his restoration from an Achilles damage, Cousins simply wasn’t capable of transfer on the degree he must be at as a way to function this offense, so Penix having 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, somewhat 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 may see the RPM’s he places on the ball. McCloud has to drag this one in, however it’s throw that exhibits off how completely 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 skin 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 working a deep out route and WR Drake London has a dig path to the bottom. Penix takes his drop after the play pretend, and rips an absolute laser to Mooney over the outstretched palms of the beneath defender. It’s important to have a excessive degree 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 had been lacking with Cousins underneath heart.
This could be his finest throw of the day. One other play motion try with a basic go route/publish/something to maintain that nook’s eyes on you mixed with a deep over route from the opposite facet. What I like about this move is that it exhibits off Penix Jr.’s superior data of leverage and timing. He throws this ball behind his receiver, however it’s not an inaccurate move. Somewhat, it’s a technique to defend his receiver from the beneath defender making an attempt to get again into the play.
If Penix Jr. leads this ball, the receiver might get crushed by this defender, or the play leads to a move 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 rather a lot, however he seemed MUCH extra ready for that space of the sport than I anticipated, making the ceiling for this offense even larger than earlier than. Penix was pressured 14 occasions on Sunday, but didn’t take a sack, which exhibits off how properly 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 entering into movement with Mooney, Penix Jr. confirms that it’s man protection, however watch his processing from the tip zone angle. With each linebackers approaching this blitz, he is aware of that there’s no gap defender.
Penix Jr. rapidly 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 convey the nickel and drop the bottom edge and linebacker. Penix sees the nickel blitzing and is aware of the dropping linebacker has to switch the place the blitz got here from, and throws it proper the place the dropping linebacker was. 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 to be like 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 rapidly will get this ball to Robinson and the Falcons nearly rating on the play. It’s small, however it’s these little issues that the Falcons had been lacking that prohibited the offense from transferring at an environment friendly degree. Penix introduced that effectivity, elevating the ground, but additionally flashed the arm power 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 correct lengthy sufficient to open a window for Mooney, then whips again left and throws a dart. The straightforward, little issues that he did in his debut was actually spectacular, and has me excited.
After all, he gained’t get the flexibility to face the Giants each week, however what Penix Jr. did on Sunday was very encouraging. The arm power and play motion stuff was enjoyable, however it’s the stress work he did that actually received me hyped for the place this could go. Because the Falcons make a last push for postseason play, I’ll be curious to see how far more they offer Penix Jr. when it comes to downfield passing as a way 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.
