ATLANTA — Michael Penix Jr. looked like an NFL veteran in his first professional start, but not as much as he looked when he took the podium after the game.
The Atlanta Falcons quarterback was at a local Costco store Tuesday night when head coach Raheem Morris informed him he would be making his first NFL start. After leading the Falcons to a Victory 34-7 against the New York Giants in this start, Penix was asked if he would celebrate the victory at Costco on Sunday night.
“No, I hope, something fancier,” Penix said. “Costco is awesome, though. Costco, call me.
If the Falcons (8-7) continue to play like they did on Sunday, Penix could receive a sponsorship offer from the company, which would mean he would replace Kirk Cousins to become the team’s starting quarterback. ‘Atlanta to Kirkland and launch Costco’s iconic product line.
“I couldn’t be happier with the way the team responded, really rallied around a young guy,” Morris said. “He came out and played almost perfect football and helped us get the win.”
GO DEEPER
NFL Week 16 Takeaways: Should the Niners Still Pay Purdy? Did Jayden Daniels win Rookie of the Year?
Tampa Bay’s loss to Dallas on Sunday night put the Falcons back in control of the NFC South. If they win their final two games, at Washington and at home against Carolina, they will host a playoff game.
The Falcons’ 27-point margin of victory was the second largest since the 2016 Super Bowl season, and they have now surpassed seven wins in a season for the first time since the 10-win 2017 season. The Giants (2-13) lost their 10th straight, the longest losing streak in franchise history.
“You feel (the nerves), but once I get on the field, it goes away,” Penix said. “It’s the game I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old. It’s at a higher level, but it’s the same game.”
The Falcons drafted Penix eighth in April with the intention of letting him be an understudy behind Cousins for a year or more, but Cousins’ last five games convinced them to accelerate that schedule.
“The plan came a little early, but the kid was ready,” Morris said. “We had a lot of time to develop him, and the kid did a great job preparing himself where the moment wasn’t too big.”
Cousins swallowed the pain of being benched less than a year after signing a four-year, $180 million contract to mentor Penix throughout the week, Penix said. In the tunnel before the two men ran to warm up, Cousins said his weekly prayer and patted Penix on the back, gently urging him to run ahead of him.
“Kirk has been great all week, just being there for me and anything I need help with. He’s a great leader and a great teammate,” Penix said. “As he came off the field, he asked me what I saw and he continued to encourage me throughout the match.”
And, with a pat on the back from Kirk Cousins, here comes Michael Penix Jr. for the Atlanta Falcons. pic.twitter.com/xisQiO0SyR
– Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) December 22, 2024
Penix finished 18 of 27 for 202 yards and an interception on a ball that bounced out of tight end Kyle Pitts’ hands near the goal line. The quarterback was the victim of three drops, notably on his first throw of the game. Pass drops weren’t uncommon in his early practices because of his strong arm, but Penix has made big strides in throwing a more catchable ball, said wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who led the Falcons with five catches for 82 yards and then said reporters might not want to stand too close to him in the locker room because he wasn’t feeling well.
“When he got here, he was (too excited) to throw the ball and everyone was dropping it everywhere,” Mooney said. “Now he’s relaxing and he’s having a little bit of contact.”
Sunday’s falls didn’t shake Penix, running back Bijan Robinson said.
“After Kyle’s play, he was like, ‘We’re good,’” Robinson said. “A lot of guys would have hung their heads, but he said, ‘We’re good, we’ll get back to it the next ride,’ and that’s what he did.”
Robinson has carried the ball 22 times for 94 yards and is fourth in the league in rushing (1,196 yards). He ran for two touchdowns, but was upset that he didn’t get a receiving score because he tripped before the goal line on a swing pass. Robinson returned to the huddle and apologized to Penix for not getting him his first NFL passing touchdown.
“I told him, ‘It’s okay, man. We won the football game,” Penix said. “It just shows the person he is, not just him but everyone on this team, the character. He talked about giving me my first touchdown, but it will come. The biggest thing we want to do every week is win. We did it.
GO DEEPER
What Michael Penix Jr.’s college film reveals about his chances as Atlanta’s QB
Atlanta’s defense had nothing to apologize for after returning two interceptions for touchdowns in the same game for the first time since 1983. Jessie Bates III jumped in front of a Drew Lock pass and returned it to 55 yards in the second quarter, then celebrated with Deion. Sanders’ “Prime Time” dance. He said his inspiration was the red helmets Atlanta wore on Sunday.
“There’s something about those red helmets,” Bates said.
In the third quarter, defensive lineman Matthew Judon recorded the first interception and first touchdown of his nine-year career when he found himself in possession of a pass batted by Zach Harrison and rumbled 27 yards into the end zone.
“I just looked up and it fell right there. Praise God,” said Judon, who became the first Falcon since Kroy Biermann in 2011 to have a pick six and a sack in the same game. “I’m really grateful. I kept thanking Zach the whole time in (the locker room) until he left.
The Falcons also recorded three sacks, one of which resulted in a fumble recovery by Arnold Ebiketie.
Penix, however, was the story of the day. Simply by providing a stabilizing piece at the position, he gave the Falcons hope for their playoff push. His coaches and teammates said they never really doubted that the 24-year-old would make it.
The Falcons revamped the “Mamba” periods they used in practice this year, where each team’s starters compete against each other in competitive situations to give Penix looks he hadn’t seen enough of, But other than that, they haven’t changed their routine at all, Morris says.
“I think this guy is just an adult who came in with a lot of football experience,” the coach said. “I couldn’t be more proud of the young man. It was fun to watch.
(Photo: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)