To start the Michael Penix Jr. era, the Atlanta Falcons advanced to 8-7, thanks to a 34-7 rout of the now
2-13 New York Giants, providing their home crowd with an early holiday present. The Falcons got off to a
slow start, as a missed field goal by Riley Patterson and a 14-play, 70-yard drive by the Giants ended with
a touchdown pass from Drew Lock to Tyrone Tracy, giving New York an early lead. However, with the
Falcons trailing 7-3, a 55-yard pick-six by Jessie Bates with 7:56 remaining in the second quarter gave
them much-needed momentum.
The Falcons took a 10-7 lead and were in cruise control the rest of the way. Bijan Robinson finished the
day with 94 yards and two rushing touchdowns on 22 carries, becoming the first Falcon to reach 10
rushing touchdowns in a season since Devonta Freeman in 2016. A tipped pass by Zach Harrison led to
another pick-six by the Atlanta defense, this time by Matthew Judon, on just the second play of the
second half. It was the first time since 1983 that Atlanta’s defense recorded two pick-sixes in one game.
Furthermore, the Falcons’ defense recorded at least three sacks for the fourth straight game, which
included a strip sack late in the first half by Kaden Ellis. After recording 10 sacks through their first 11
games, the team has recorded 16 sacks through their last four with a sack percentage of 9.4 percent, the
third highest in the league during that span. Accordingly, head coach Raheem Morris and defensive
coordinator Jimmy Lake deserve credit for making necessary adjustments to the team’s defensive
scheme during the bye week, addressing Atlanta’s pass rush issues.
In his first NFL start, Penix completed 18 of his 27 pass attempts for 202 passing yards and one
interception, which came off a tipped pass late in the first half. However, Penix was much more
impressive than what his final stat line suggests, as the rookie displayed a strong presence in the pocket
with an ability to evade pressure and make throws downfield.
After the game, Morris praised Penix’s outing, stating that the rookie played “almost flawless football
and kept the game really clean.”
Later that night, on Sunday Night Football, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
putting the Falcons back in first place in the NFC South. Atlanta holds a tiebreaker thanks to their season
sweep of Tampa Bay. Morris explained that his team has an opportunity in front of them, and it’s
ultimately up to them to finish the job. “I realized we got the pen back. Now we have to go keep it,” he
said Monday when asked about Sunday night’s game result. This week, the Falcons will play in what is
undoubtedly the franchise’s biggest game since their last postseason berth in 2017. Atlanta will travel to
the nation’s capital to face a 10-5 Washington Commanders team on Sunday night, led by former
Falcons’ head coach Dan Quinn and rookie phenom Jayden Daniels. Quinn was Atlanta’s head coach
during the team’s last playoff appearance, while Morris served as the team’s wide receivers coach and
offensive passing game coordinator. Additionally, two rookie quarterbacks, Penix and Daniels, will face
one another with playoff implications at stake for both teams. A Commanders’ win gives the team its
first playoff berth since 2020. However, if the Falcons win and the Carolina Panthers defeat the
Buccaneers, they will clinch the NFC South. Consequently, Mercedes-Benz Stadium would host an NFL
postseason game for the first time since its opening in 2017.