Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. largely impressed as he helped his Atlanta Falcons earn an impressive 34-7 win over the New York Giants this past Sunday.
With that said, Penix sounds optimistic that he'll improve upon that performance through January with each day he spends as Atlanta's QB1.
"I mean, it takes a lot of reps," Penix recently remarked, ESPN's Marc Raimondi shared. "That's the biggest thing. Just getting those reps in practice, as many live reps as we can — and we did a lot of reps this past week. We're going to continue to grow. So, what you saw there [Sunday], a couple missed throws, stuff like that. It is only going to get better, as we continue to work, continue to get more comfortable with that connection."
While Penix tossed an interception that wasn't his fault against the Giants, he also completed 18-of-27 passes for 202 yards. Stats show he connected on all 11 of his pass attempts between the numbers for 130 yards, and his defense helped him out by recording two picks that were returned for touchdowns.
Logic suggests Penix will need to notch at least one score when the first-place Falcons play at the 10-5 Washington Commanders this coming Sunday night. As of Thursday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Atlanta as a four-point underdog for that game.
"Like we mentioned last week, the plan came a little bit sooner, but the kid was ready. We had a lot of time to develop him," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said recently about going to Penix after veteran Kirk Cousins left much to be desired with his play across five straight games. "The kid did a great job ... developing himself and getting ready for that moment where it wasn't too big, and I was really proud and pleased with the effort that he was able to go out there and play with."
8-7 Atlanta beat the 8-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers twice earlier in the season, meaning the Falcons control their destiny regarding the NFC South title battle. Penix showed against the Giants he can handle the pressure of playing in a must-win game, but he'll likely have to be more than just a serviceable signal-call
