'He's Like That': Falcons QB Penix Has 'Pretty Good Night' on Debut

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. drew praise from head coach Raheem Morris and his teammates after his NFL preseason debut Friday.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 9-of-16 passes in his preseason debut against the Miami Dolphins. / Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- Less than two and a half hours before the Atlanta Falcons kicked off their preseason Friday night against the Miami Dolphins, rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was one of only a few players on the field.

Penix, donning his patented black durag, white headphones, a white long-sleeve shirt, black shorts, black compression sleeves on each leg and black Adizero Impact+ cleats, threw passes back-and-forth with quarterbacks coach T.J. Yates, a seven-year NFL signal caller.

It was 4:45 p.m. -- and by 8:20 p.m., Penix was on the sideline, his first NFL game done. To some players, the moment would have marked the end of a night that had long been dreamt about. For the smooth, confident Penix, it was just another day.

"I felt good, it felt good," Penix said postgame. "It was fun to be able to be out there and compete with my brothers, man. Just having fun, going out there playing the game I've been playing since I was five years old. So, no nerves, no jitters. I was just ready to go."

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Penix finished the night at 9-of-16 for 104 yards, no touchdowns and no interceptions across five drives. The Falcons scored 10 points under his guidance, including their lone touchdown -- a one-yard run on 4th and Goal from running back Carlos Washington Jr., capitalizing on strong field position after an interception by corner Kevin King.

Atlanta had 105 yards of offense with Penix under center as its rushing game struggled to find a rhythm. In the 12 drives after Penix's departure, the Falcons mustered 121 yards and three points.

Quarterbacks Taylor Heinicke and Nathan Rourke had difficult outings, as Heinicke went 4-of-11 for 11 yards while Rourke completed 3-of-13 attempts for 37 yards. Rourke was released Sunday amidst a plethora of roster moves.

Penix, meanwhile, entered the night with plenty of excitement surrounding his play -- so much that when Atlanta won the coin toss, head coach Raheem Morris chose to receive because he wanted to see his first-round pick in action -- and delivered with an encouraging performance.

The 24-year-old completed his first pass attempt, a seven-yard connection with sixth-round rookie receiver Casey Washington. The next play, Penix again went to Washington, this time deep down the right sideline, but it fell incomplete.

On the second snap of Atlanta's next drive, Penix targeted receiver Chris Blair, who made the catch on a stick route for a four-yard gain on the left side -- but Blair fumbled, and the Dolphins recovered. Miami scored a field goal on the ensuing drive to take a 3-0 lead.

After an imcomplete pass to Washington to begin the ensuing drive, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson dialed up another pass play. This time, it involved Blair running a vertical route down the right sideline. Before the Falcons broke the huddle, Penix said he'd give Blair a chance.

He did, and 41 yards later, Atlanta had its biggest play of the night -- which resulted in an insightful learning observation from Morris.

"I don't think he's ever going to lose confidence in his guys," Morris said. "I don't think Mike is the kind of guy to lose confidence. He plays with a lot of confidence, plays with a lot of poise. He's always been that way. He's that way in college. He's pretty even-keeled, even-demeanor.

"I don't think he rides the emotional roller coaster at all."

But in other wise, Penix still rides the football roller coaster many rookies do. The very next play after his completion to Blair, he sailed a pass over an open Washington's head. It's a throw Morris said Penix wants back, and one he's seen the former University of Washington standout make time and again in process.

Yet Penix immediately made up for it, taking the Falcons back up to the top of the rollercoaster. Faced with pressure in the pocket, he evaded the rush, went through his reads and found Washington for a chains-moving 16-yard completion over the middle.

By night's end, the numbers illustrated a positive, mistake-free showing. From his seat, Penix felt he made just one error -- he looked the wrong way on one play, but still hit his checkdown and gained a handful of yards.

Morris wanted to see how Penix handled operating in a live-game setting. The Falcons have seen him operate in practice, but tackle football is an entirely different ordeal -- one Penix argued is slower and easier than facing the same defense each day in practice, because other teams don't know the looks as well.

In his debut, Penix reaffirmed many of Morris's beliefs from the pre-draft process, from going through progressions to managing the pocket in professional ways.

And apart from the overthrow to Washington, Morris said Penix had "a pretty good night," particularly with delivering the ball in the right spot, which resulted in hitting a few big plays down the field.

"I felt really good about Michael," Morris said. "He was able to go through some progressions. We got a little pass-happy with him but it was fun to see him go out there and execute some of the pass plays, be able to get some stuff done and lead the offense and get them in and out of the huddle.

"I was pretty pleased what he was able to do."

Penix wasn't as satisfied with his performance as Morris. He wanted to win, and said he isn't proud the Falcons failed to achieve that mission. He also said his goal is to score every drive, and Atlanta put up points on just two of his five series.

There's always room for improvement, Penix said, but he ultimately felt adequate when reflecting on his outing.

"I feel like I did OK," Penix said. "Some things that I definitely want to get better. I feel like I executed the offense the best that I could."

Penix's teammates sided more with Morris, including Carlos Washington Jr., who has worked extensively with Penix this summer on Atlanta's second-team offense.

"He’s comfortable," Washington Jr. said. "He’s a pro for sure. Of course, there’s time where we tell him, 'Take a deep breath, it’s all good.' But other than that, he’s going to be a guy for sure."

Like Carlos, Casey Washington has spent considerable time around Penix, a process beginning at rookie minicamp May 10. The night before, Penix organized a walkthrough for the entire offense, which Washington noted set the tone for his energy and leadership.

And after seeing seven of Penix's 16 passes come his way, Washington left his evaluation short but straightforward.

"He's like that," Washington said, assertively.

For some rookies, the scenes Friday night in Miami were something they won't soon forget. Penix said Washington had a big smile on his face when he first took the field. Back in rookie minicamp, defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro noted his emotions putting on the jersey for the first time.

But Penix has been steady from the start. He played on the biggest stage in college football -- the national championship -- seven months prior. He's overcome hardships, including four years of season-ending injuries at Indiana University.

And through it all, he's come back to the same principles: At the end of the day, football is still ... football.

"I was ready," Penix said. "I've been ready to play for the longest. I don't know, it's just football to me. I've been playing it since I was five, like I said. So just go out there and do what you do."