Too Much Being Made of Michael Penix Jr.'s 2024 Accuracy

The Athletic wrote not one, but two articles that discussed Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix's accuracy or alleged lack thereof. Each piece used completion percentage as a descriptive factor.

Do you ever wonder what exactly people watch when they critique athletic performance? Are they so tethered to some stats that anything else, including circumstance, context, and situation, falls by the wayside? 

"Penix took over from Kirk Cousins in Week 16, but those games were against bottom-half defenses (Giants, Commanders, Panthers), and the rookie completed only 58.1 percent of his passes, which ranked 44th among qualifying quarterbacks in that span," Josh Kendall wrote on The Athletic. 

In a league where the average completion percentage hovers in the mid-60s, everyone with functioning mathematical comprehension knows that 58.1% is not a solid number and it needs to be rapidly improved. No one in that offensive meeting room, not a single coach or player, looks at the number and wants that trajectory to continue.

A full offseason as the starter, complete with extensive time to build chemistry with his wide receivers, goes a long way toward building cohesion and momentum. Remember, Penix was thrust into the starting role late, providing little runway to success. Did he play an elite brand of football? Of course not.

Did he show elite ability? Yes, he did.  

You saw makeable throws that he missed and ones that he would want back. At the same time, you also pass that fit into the tightest windows, in spots where only the receiver could grab them. What you also saw was building confidence and letting the rookie find himself.

By nature, Penix wants to take the deep shot, something that Cousins, at this point, cannot do. In the long run, that will help the Falcons spread the defense out, allowing Bijan Robinson space in the run game.

Penix opened Falcons training camp on Thursday with a drama-free day filled with accurate throws to running backs, wide receivers, and especially tight end Kyle Pitts. The offensive scheme will include more easy throws, and timing routes that bounced off receivers’ hands in 2024 should find safe harbor in 2025.

The Falcons have questions, but way too much is being made of Penix’s 58%.