Penix passes features in, too.
I had groused a little bit about how dull this feature was, given that the Atlanta Falcons were barely playing their rookies. This week is an excellent reminder to me and to all of us to be careful what you wish for.
Injuries finally forced Brandon Dorlus into his season debut, and a blowout gave Michael Penix, Casey Washington, and Jase McClellan work on offense. Those are not ideal circumstances, even if almost every rookie who played had positive moments.
Let’s get to the report.
QB Michael Penix
Pressed into action with the game well out of reach and Kirk Cousins getting hammered, Penix looked pretty good. He completed two of four passes, but both of his completions were darts and he threw a sideline ball that only Casey Washington could get that was pretty. The decisiveness and live arm bode well for the future, but Penix is no danger of getting more time outside of blowouts unless the season completely disintegrates.
DL Ruke Orhorhoro
Raheem Morris indicated that Orhorhoro could return in 2024, and that is badly needed given both the state of the defensive line and the way injuries are hitting. We’ll hope to get him back for what I pray is a playoff run.
OLB Bralen Trice
The absence of Trice looms very large over this season. His coverage chops, ability against the run, and promise as a pass rusher would have inevitably gotten him significant snaps, especially with Lorenzo Carter’s outsized struggles. I’m not saying he would have been elite, but would he have been better than what the Falcons have mustered? I’d bet on it.
DL Brandon Dorlus
Ta’Quon Graham hitting injured reserve finally opened up a spot for Dorlus, who played just nine snaps. He missed a tackle, but he also had a pair of tackles and a stop, so given the small sample size it was a fine debut. Hopefully we’ll see more of him in the weeks ahead.
LB JD Bertrand
Once again out with a concussion, Bertrand may well steal snaps from Nate Landman when he returns, given that he was playing well in the couple of games before suffering that injury. That will hopefully come after the bye.
RB Jase McClellan
Another blowout loss led to plenty of work for McClellan, who ran hard with limited success. A long-term useful piece of the puzzle given his well-rounded game, McClellan is only going to play in situations like these, and remains buried on the running back depth chart.
WR Casey Washington
Special teams work again for Washington, who is working his way into a slightly larger role there. Washington also had a shot at Penix’s deep ball but couldn’t get quite get it, and he left the game with a possible concussion immediately after the play. If we see him in Week 13, it’ll be in a still-small role, but hopefully his recovery is swift.