Week 16 Snap reaction: Michael Penix impresses in debut

It was a strong day for the rookie quarterback.

The Michael Penix Jr. era starts 1-0! The offense looked rejuvenated, and the defense keeps their sack streak going. The Atlanta Falcons may have found their guy.

Here are the Week 16 Snap Reactions.

Going to Penix was the right call

It was a showcase of arm talent, physical ability, and veteran tricks from the rookie quarterback. On the game’s first play, Zac Robinson called a play-action rollout concept, and it wouldn’t be the last, seemingly answering whether he or Kirk was preventing the play from being called. It’s clear that the quarterback forced a more limited offense to be run, and we got a taste of what the Falcons could look like at full power.

The ball got everywhere faster, pass plays were extended, and the Falcons were less predictable and conservative than expected. Benching Cousins was the right move. Penix elevated the offense, and the amount of trust the staff had in him was noticeable. Penix was asked to go through multiple progressions and attack the middle of the field, something he wasn’t asked to do much of at UW, and struggled when he had to.

It seems the time on the bench served the quarterback well because you never would’ve guessed that was a weakness in his game. Zac Robinson and Penix are a much better fit, and the film is going to be a blast to go through. Seeing this pair grow together could be something special.

Drops for all, but the unicorn’s was special

Kyle Pitts really is elite. He could’ve simply dropped the ball like Drake London and Ray-Ray McCloud had early in the game, but he shows you what an elite drop looks like. Not just any TE can turn a red zone first down into a Drake London street fight; that takes panache you can only find in the top 4 of the NFL draft.

There’s always talk around the spin of a lefty quarterback’s ball; the “it makes a difference crowd” won today. It probably doesn’t help that the Falcons receivers went from catching BBs to rockets, but whatever the case may be, expect things to return to normal once the Falcons weapons get more chemistry with their new quarterback.

The Falcons have a pass rush to envy

What an absolutely absurd paragraph headline, and it’s nothing but facts. The Falcons have been a top pass rushing unit for the last four games, and they don’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Arnold Ebiketie looks elite, and he’s consistently winning off the edge.

Matthew Judon had his name called the most since week 1 against the Steelers, and Zach Harrison continues to make impact plays. Kaden Elliss is the nitromethane that makes this engine go, and if Atlanta can keep this going, then they’ll have as good a chance as any

Winning (on merit) cures all

It’s unbelievable what a win can do. Fans at Mercedes-Benz Stadium started doing the wave, online critics turned into fans instantly, and there’s a real sense of hope that the Falcons drafted a guy. No one is walking away from this game making concessions or excuses. Fans only want to see more, and that’s special.

Making the playoffs requires some magic, but if the Falcons go 3-0 with increasingly good QB play like this, then fans will be able to forgive even if they don’t make it. That’s the power of winning. There are still problems ahead that require good decision-makers and solutions, but the curve you get from a franchise QB lowers the margin for error. It’s still too early to say that the Falcons have found theirs, but they look closer than they’ve ever been in the last four years.

Expectations need to be tempered, butomgtheymayhavefoundtheone. After their abysmal slide, the Atlanta Falcons have won two in a row, and the offense looked functional again. After ripping out your heart, the Falcons everyone back in, they’re too damn good at that, but we’ll be sitting and watching all the same.