CBS Sports’ Tyler Sullivan gave one reason each team in the NFC South can end up winning the division in 2025. The Atlanta Falcons' reason? Second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
“In the brief window (three starts) that we saw Penix under center for Atlanta, the numbers didn't exactly blow you away,” Sullivan wrote on CBS Sports. “Over that stretch, he completed just 58% of his passes with a 78.6 passer rating and threw for just as many interceptions (three) as he did touchdowns. Those numbers don't exactly tell the entire story. By simply looking at that output, you'd probably say that Penix is more likely to flame out than become a bona fide starter in the league.”
Sullivan did more than just check a box score when deciding to write about Penix and the Falcons, and he saw the tantalizing talent that has the Falcons’ brass and fans excited about his potential.
“When actually watching him play, however, he did flash his potential much more than you’d think and seemed to pass the eye test as someone who can produce at a much higher level,” Sullivan wrote.
Penix is slated to be Atlanta’s starting quarterback this season. Consistently good quarterback play has been something the Falcons have been missing since trading Matt Ryan before the 2022 season.
Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, and Kirk Cousins each started a season as the Week 1 starter. None of them made it through the entire season without getting benched. Cousins put up numbers for a while and even had Atlanta sitting at 6-3 and top of the division before having a four-week stint where he put up zero passing touchdowns and eight interceptions.
Penix was finally given the start in a Week 15 matchup against the New York Giants. He finished the season with 775 yards, four total touchdowns (three rushing, one passing), and three interceptions in his first three starts.
Now with Penix under center, Atlanta hopes to finally have stability at the quarterback position. Head coach Raheem Morris has said he believes Michael Penix is the Falcons’ future.
While the numbers are not eye-popping, he did show Falcons fans a lot to get excited about. He is credited by PFF with seven big-time throws in Week 18 alone, and nine in Weeks 16-18. Those nine big-time throws were the second most in the NFL during that span.
With a strong supporting cast, the highest graded one per PFF at that, Penix does not have to be perfect. But if he can just be a consistent quarterback, along with a retooled defense, that should be enough for the Falcons to win the division.
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Current senior at the University of Georgia in pursuit of a Sports Media Certificate at UGA's Carmichael Sports Media Institute. I covered High School Sports as an intern for the Marietta Daily Journal and used to host my own radio show "Peach Empire Sports" where I got to talk football with Mohamed Sanu. I am a huge football and basketball fan and enjoy baseball, although not as much as the other two sports. I love sports and wish to share my passion with others through the written media."
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CBS Sports: Why Atlanta Falcons Can Win the NFC South – Sports Illustrated
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