Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris heaped praise on rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. after the Falcons’ 34–7 victory over the New York Giants.
Penix, whom the Falcons drafted with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, made his first start Sunday against New York. Morris praised Penix for leading the team and playing a clean game, and he lauded the team for rallying around the young signal-caller and contributing to a team win.
Morris said that Penix’s play was “gratifying” for the entire Falcons organization. He praised general manager Terry Fontenot and the management staff, as well as the Falcons’ ownership, saying the decision to select and develop Penix was a collaborative effort. He then praised Penix for rising to the moment as starter.
“The plan came a little bit sooner, but the kid was ready. We had a lot of time to develop him, the kid did a great job himself, developing himself and getting ready for that moment to where it wasn’t too big. And I was really proud and pleased with the effort he was able to go out there and play with.”
In his remarks after the game, Penix expressed gratitude for the opportunity and said he has been ready for this moment all season. “I’ve been preparing each and every day for this day, always preparing like the starter, even though I wasn’t at first. But it’s a blessing to be able to come out here and get a big time win for the team.”
Penix was “almost flawless” in the box score: he completed 18 of his 27 passes for 202 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. But the interception was not his fault. With 16 seconds left in the first half, Penix threw a pass to tight end Kyle Pitts. Pitts was quickly wrapped around the legs by safety Dane Belton, and the ball came out of his hands. It was not clear whether he simply lost the ball or was attempting to lateral the ball to wide receiver Drake London, who was standing in the end zone. Either way, the ball was intercepted by Giants cornerback Cor'Dale Flott, who was tackled by London at the New York 25-yard line.
Outside that miscue, the Falcons’ defense and running game made life easy for Penix. Midway through the second quarter, safety Jessie Bates III caught an errant pass from Giants quarterback Drew Lock and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown. In the third quarter, defensive lineman Zach Harrison blew past two Giants offensive linemen and batted Lock’s pass near the line of scrimmage; that ball was caught by edge rusher Matthew Judon, who returned it for a 33-yard pick six. On offense, running back Bijan Robinson rushed 22 times for 92 yards and two touchdowns, along with 2 catches for 9 yards.
The win puts the Falcons back in the lead for the NFC South. They had previously lost the top spot in the division earlier this month after losing to the Minnesota Vikings but earned it back after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday.
Having watched the game over again on film, Morris reiterated his praise for Penix at his press conference Monday.
“He went out and played at a very high level for us,” Morris added.
Penix heads into another important test this Sunday as he faces off against fellow 2024 first-rounder Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football.
