Michael Penix Benched as Atlanta Falcons Lay Egg in Blowout Loss to Carolina Panthers

The Atlanta Falcons picked up a much needed win last Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. However, everything that was good in that game went up in smoke on Sunday afternoon in a 30-0 blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Falcons' quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had the worst game of his young career, going 18 of 36 passing for 172 yards with two costly interceptions for a paltry 40.5 passer rating. He was replaced by backup Kirk Cousins in the fourth quarter.

Offense Struggles, Penix Jr. Endures Career-Worst Performance

Penix Jr. had one of the roughest outings of his young career. His 29.0 PFF grade was the lowest of any player in the NFL so far this week, and it marked the worst single-game grade by a quarterback this season.

He completed just 50% of his passes for 172 yards with two interceptions. One came in the third quarter when he failed to account for the flat defender as the pocket collapsed, leading to Chau Smith-Wade jumping a swing route and returning it for a touchdown.

Early on, Penix found some rhythm with short throws underneath, but Atlanta couldn’t stretch the field. Against Carolina’s Cover-2 and Cover-4 looks, the Falcons stalled trying to attack the boundaries. The dink-and-dunk approach only worked for so long before the walls started to cave in

Defense Holds Up, But Gets Worn Down

The defense wasn’t nearly as bad the score suggests. Atlanta forced Carolina to work for its points in the first half, but the offense's struggles forced the Falcons’ defense to constantly be back on the field. Overall, the Falcons held the Panthers to a 27.3% third-down conversion rate. By the second half, fatigue set in, and the game eventually unraveled.

Still, there were some bright spots on the defensive side. Linebacker Kaden Ellis continued to prove why he is one the top linebackers in the league, tying for the game lead with nine tackles and adding a sack. Rookie Jalon Walker played a career-high 30 snaps and totaled three tackles, while James Pearce Jr. showed flashes as a pass rusher, even forcing Bryce Young into being sacked by Ellis.

Special Teams Miscues Add To The Problem

While they may not have been a deciding factor this time, the Falcons continued to struggle on special teams. Recently-acquired kicker Parker Romo missed wide right from long range in the first quarter and then whiffed on a 55-yarder later, leaving Atlanta empty-handed on two scoring opportunities. Although he was coming off a 5-for-5 performance against Minnesota, Romo’s inconsistency should still generate some concern.

The return game was even worse, constantly giving the Falcons poor field position.