CBS Sports Keys on 2 Improvements Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons Must Make

The big-time throws that Penix can make are what have Falcons fans salivating heading into the fall. Atlanta has a bevy of weapons, including Drake London, Bijan Robinson, the constantly overlooked Darnell Mooney, and the mercurial Kyle Pitts, among others.

The missed throws on the easier routes are being chalked up to poor timing for a quarterback who didn't have a single practice rep with a first-team receiver until the Wednesday before his first start.

While Pereles chides Penix for a -6.3 completion percentage against the Panthers, another way to look at that stat: Penix cut his missed throws in half after just two weeks of working with the No. 1 offense.

Pereles hadn't finished with the Falcons, though. He sees an untapped resource for Penix and Robinson that could play a major factor in big plays for Atlanta.

"We'll also be interested in how Penix develops as a play-action thrower," Pereles continued. "Atlanta did essentially no play-action passing with Kirk Cousins a shell of himself post-Achilles tear. But they dabbled in it with Penix. Though Penix is not a scrambler, he's not a bad athlete, and one would think offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, plucked off the Sean McVay coaching tree, would like to expand that."

Pereles likely isn't aware of Penix's 4.5-forty time, but that's understandable, because he's right. Penix isn't a scrambler. He had 265 total rushing yards in six college seasons.

But he's fast, and if Matt Ryan can run a naked bootleg off play-action, Penix is certainly athletic enough.

Michael Penix Jr.'s biggest flaw in his three-game sample size last season can easily be explained away by a lack of timing because of limited reps. The Falcons finished No. 6 in total offense last season, and those numbers improved in the final three games with Penix under center.

The shorter passes should be cleaned up, and play-action with Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier should be incorporated more thoroughly into the offense, opening up more room in the secondary for Atlanta's receivers.

There's good reason for Falcon fans' excitement to see Penix and this offense at work in 2025.