Has Michael Penix Jr. Had A Breakout Game Yet?

The Atlanta Falcons have had several ups and downs this season, and they’ve mostly been led by young quarterback Michael Penix Jr. behind center. With him, they’ve had extraordinary wins no one saw coming, and inexplicable losses, but has he had his breakout game yet in the NFL?​

When Penix Jr. is at his best, he can do for the Falcons what he did against the Packers, Saints and the 49ers. He can get the ball to the best players, put it in the end zone, and keep it away from the other team. When he plays to this ability, it leads to high-scoring totals, multiple passing touchdowns, and time-of-possession dominance for the Falcons.

Against Green Bay, it took Penix Jr. a moment to gain his composure. In his first game back he threw an interception in the first drive, getting things off to a rocky start, but he settled in quickly after. Leaning on superstar running back Bijan Robinson and the rushing attack, Penix Jr. completed 18 of 25 passes for 256 yards and threw a touchdown pass. Behind that performance, the Falcons beat the Packers 35-14, shocking the NFL for the first time this season.

In his return from his ACL injury, he proved his presence brought stability to the Falcons offense and that he could lead them to wins without being a negative factor. All positives, but it doesn’t quite make for a breakout NFL performance.

Penix Jr. followed that up the next week in a Monday night showdown against divisional rivals, the New Orleans Saints. In New Orleans, he continued to be a positive factor for the Falcons without being necessarily the deciding factor.

Leaning on Robinson and his 145-yard rushing attack, Penix Jr. completed 15 passes for 223 yards and threw a touchdown to help the Falcons win 45-24 in primetime. Again, a good game, but not a career-defining great game for the young quarterback.

​Against the 49ers, he had what some are considering his best performance of his career. He threw 25 passes for 213 while scoring three touchdown passes–one being wide receiver Drake London‘s first for the season– without throwing an interception. That performance not only led to a convincing Falcons win, shocking the league for the second time but also earned Penix Jr. the NFC Offensive Player of the Week award.

Everything looked up for the young quarterback, but local media weren’t sure Penix Jr. had truly had a breakout game yet in his career. If one had to choose a game, the 29-20 win against the 49ers is probably the best of his resume so far.

However, the number of games Penix Jr. has played in the past three years just amounts to a season’s worth. It’s fair to assume that he has higher heights to climb. For a quarterback with a rocket arm and the audacity to believe he can make any throw, it’s hard to believe that 213 yards in a single game is his ceiling.

After Penix Jr.’s disastrous four-interception performance against the Buccaneers, he’ll have a chance to make amends and show what he can really do against the Cincinnati Bengals in Spain on Sunday morning.