Michael Penix Jr. could have crumbled.
A pair of negative plays outside his control threatened the Atlanta Falcons’ comeback effort against the Washington Commanders. Between a phantom holding call and a botched snap, he’d have to overcome multiple fourth-and-long situations — and the Commanders’ string of long, clock-grinding second half drives — to give his team a chance to keep its place atop the NFC South.
If things went south, Penix could have hung his hat on an otherwise decent performance for a player making his second NFL start. But that’s not what Michael Penix did. Instead, he felt the weight the Falcons placed on his shoulders by drafting him eighth overall two months after signing Kirk Cousins to a $180 million contract. Then he lifted it up over his head. Clean rep. Tie game.
OMG KYLE PITTS TD!!!
: #ATLvsWAS on NBC/Peacock
: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/8sE8kkub9Y— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2024
This was not an easy throw to make. Washington understood the assignment. It brought a four-man rush (after showing blitz) and then dropped seven defenders between the five-yard line and the middle of the end zone. Only a true laser beam would be able to penetrate a blanket of man coverage. There was only a split second between safety Percy Butler passing Kyle Pitts off to safety Jeremy Chinn behind him.
The quality here isn’t great, but you get the idea:
via NBC
That ball has to be perfectly timed, thrown to a precise spot and high enough to clear one defender and low enough that Pitts can use his body to shield the ball from Chinn. That’s exactly what it was.
If dots are more your thing, well:
Penix fires a laser to Pitts for game-tying touchdown, dots!!
(NFL Next Gen Stats)
— Seth Walder (@sethwalder.bsky.social) December 29, 2024 at 10:11 PM
It was a beautiful play, but maybe one we should have expected from a player whose composure doesn’t reflect a rookie in his second career start but the guy who led the University of Washington to an 8-0 record in one possession games last winter. After all, five plays earlier he pulled off a 31-yard gain on fourth-and-11.
HUGE connection from Penix to London for the 1st down
: #ATLvsWAS on NBC/Peacock
: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/499Mh6cbmS— NFL (@NFL) December 30, 2024
That play isn’t impressive in and of itself, but it’s a big deal in context. The Falcons defense spent the entirety of the second half being figured out. A 17-7 lead turned into a 24-17 deficit with fewer than five minutes to play. The Commanders grew wise to Atlanta’s defensive stunts and opted not to push their luck against a high performing A.J. Terrell, who locked down Terry McLaurin in coverage.
That led Atlanta to get crushed by former teammate Olamide Zaccheaus (eight catches, 85 yards, one touchdown) and a 34-year-old Zach Ertz (six catches, 72 yards, two touchdowns) with cameo appearances from Jamison Crowder, John Bates and Chris Rodriguez. When Penix got the ball back with 4:50 to play, Washington had run 39 second half plays to the Falcons’ nine. The Commanders held the ball for 20:20 after halftime. Atlanta’s time of possession was a scant 5:08, gaining 14 total yards in the process.
Rather than accept an impending Falconing, Penix looked up at the football gods and whispered “not today.” Or, at least, “not yet.” With the game on the line, he found a new gear. The rookie had only thrown seven passes that traveled at least 15 yards downfield to that point and completed as many to Commanders’ defenders (one) as his own players.
But with the green light late in the game, he saved his best for last. He even moved his offense into position for a 56-yard game winning field goal with two seconds on the clock thanks to a deep strike to Darnell Mooney and a pass interference penalty seconds later.
This didn’t matter. Riley Patterson’s game-winning kick fell short. Atlanta lost the coin toss and Washington capped off its fourth scoring drive in five second half/overtime attempts with a third-and-goal Ertz touchdown. The Commanders won 30-24 and left the Falcons needing help from the New Orleans Saints — a team that lost to the Las Vegas Raiders by 15 points in Week 17 — to keep their postseason hopes alive.
Penix’s performance adds a sheen of optimism to that. The raw numbers aren’t great; 19 of 35 for 223 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The advanced stats aren’t great either. He was responsible for only 1.9 expected points added and had a completion percentage over expected of -4.8. He was decidedly outplayed by fellow rookie Jayden Daniels.
But Penix answered the call when Atlanta needed him most. He stood up in the clutch and almost single-handedly reversed the tide of Sunday night’s game. Forces outside his control put him behind the eight ball. They led to the Falcons’ downfall. When his team needed a hero, however, Penix was there.
Not bad for a guy making his second NFL start.
