Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. made his second NFL appearance in Sunday's 38-6 loss to the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High.
Like the first -- during Atlanta's 34-14 defeat versus the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 20 -- it came in mop-up duty.
And for Falcons head coach Raheem Morris, who helped draft Penix at No. 8 overall in April, Penix's 13 snaps were far from the top of his mind after Atlanta's largest loss in over three years.
"Michael Penix got us out of the game," Morris said postgame. "The game that went and got away from us. He did a nice job of doing that. It’s nothing to talk about what Michael Penix did."
Penix entered the contest with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Falcons already trailing by 32 points while starter Kirk Cousins mustered only 173 yards through the air. Penix, meanwhile, finished 2-for-4 passing for 24 yards.
On his first snap, Penix threw a strike over the middle to receiver Ray-Ray McCloud for a 20-yard gain. His other completion went to receiver KhaDarel Hodge, who picked up four yards to convert on 4th and 2.
Penix's first incompletion came on a deep ball to rookie receiver Casey Washington, who suffered a head injury on the play. Penix used his eyes to freeze the safety and gave Washington a chance, though the ball slid off the edge of his outstretched hands.
The 24-year-old's other incompletion was on a receiver screen that Denver blew up, forcing him to throw the ball into the ground.
Atlanta ran the ball on Penix's second -- and the game's final -- drive, merely trying to bleed the clock and get to the plane as soon as it physically could.
"He wasn't being graded on that," Morris said. "That was something he got up in there. He was able to get us out of the game a little bit healthier. Give Kirk a chance to get healthier and give us a chance to come back up off the bye, ready to go."
Penix's entrance and subsequent performance should do nothing in the way of creating speculation. Morris has already said his rookie quarterback's timeline will be determined by Cousins, who has three more years remaining on the contract he signed in March.
However, Penix's performance only added to the excitement he's generated since arriving for rookie minicamp in May. His arm was strong. His passes were accurate. He made strong decisions.
Atlanta's future, at least under center, appears intriguing. Its present? Perhaps bleaker when considering the score-driven reasons for Penix's playing time.
Still, the Falcons enter their bye week at 6-5 and with a 1.5-game lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South crown -- and a young quarterback who's impressed his veteran mentor each day in the facility.
"He's doing a great job," Cousins said postgame. "A hard worker, and our quarterback room has always been working together from Day 1 to help each other grow. Not just one person, but all trying to get better every single day together."
