The Atlanta Falcons were one of the worst teams in football for two weeks. Then Michael Penix Jr. entered the lineup, and the entire operation got a jump-start.
Monday night's 45-24 shellacking of the New Orleans Saints on the road underscored the difference Penix has made. The QB got the team into the right play and was pinpoint accurate when the club needed to move the chains. Atlanta scored touchdowns on five of its final six non-kneel possessions on Monday.
"We just want to show the world who we can be," said Falcons safety Jessie Bates, via ESPN. "The first two weeks were not up to our standards. Obviously, when you got [Penix] back there dealing, it's a whole different team. So, we're just excited to continue to go with this."
With Cooper Rush as the starter the first two weeks, the Falcons averaged 8.0 points per game, the fewest in the league. They managed just 262 yards per contest and had seven turnovers. Since Penix entered the lineup, Atlanta has averaged 40 points per game and 459 yards, with only one turnover in the two games.
With the offense not putting the D in rough spots like the first two weeks, the complementary football has led to back-to-back blowouts.
The Falcons have won each of their last two games by 20+ points. It's the first time Atlanta has won consecutive games by 20+ points since Weeks 14-15 in 2016 -- a season in which they advanced to Super Bowl LI with the NFL's top-ranked scoring offense. It is also the first time in Falcons' franchise history they have won consecutive road games by 20+ points.
Kevin Stefanski's club brought Penix along slowly through training camp and didn't rush the QB, coming off another ACL tear, back for Week 1. While it was rough watching the Falcons stumble out of the gate, they've hit their stride since the QB returned healthy. His ability to thrive in Stefanski and Tommy Rees' scheme, which includes a boatload more under-center and play-action work, has completely transformed the offense.
"He's been phenomenal, man," running back Brian Robinson said of Penix. "It ain't really much other words I can say about the way he's been playing. I appreciate his attitude, how he come in and just take the field and he's focused and he's ready. He's not letting nothing that he's been through in his past get in the way of his goals and what he wants in the future."
The Falcons leaned on the dual B-Rob backfield, with Bijan and Brian Robinson accounting for five rushing scores. Still, it's Penix's ability to puncture defenses through the air that has transformed Atlanta from unwatchable into explosive.
After two impressive wins, the slate really picks up for Stefanski's squad, with the Ravens, Bears and 49ers on tap over the next three weeks. We'll see whether Penix and Co. can sustain their newfound potency or if it was a two-week mirage.
