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Falcons Coach Says Michael Penix Jr. has Trait Most ‘Great’ QBs Have

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Falcons Coach Says Michael Penix Jr. has Trait Most ‘Great’ QBs Have


Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had perhaps his most impressive drive through two starts late in the fourth quarter of Sunday night’s 30-24 overtime loss to the Washington Commanders.

Penix led a game-tying 12-play scoring drive in just over three minutes, capped by a touchdown pass to tight end Kyle Pitts on fourth-and-goal from the 13-yard line. He went 5-for-8 passing for 77 yards on the drive, during which he also converted a third-and-5 and fourth-and-11.

The pass to Pitts, along with intermediate out routes to receiver Drake London, showed Falcons head coach Raheem Morris that Penix, in addition to his plethora of physical tools, has an important trait that’s common for successful quarterbacks.

“You’re talking about a guy that’s a great anticipatory thrower, and Michael throws the ball with great anticipation,” Morris said Monday. “Most of the great quarterbacks that we know, that we’ve seen, throw the ball with great anticipation, and they throw it before the guy’s open. We call it throwing them open.”

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Morris believes Penix did exactly that on his touchdown to Pitts, which was the first scoring pass of Penix’s young career. He also did it on his second career interception, coming in the first quarter after miscommunication between he and receiver Chris Blair.

“He lets that thing go on line on the fourth down to Kyle Pitts in the back of the end zone, throwing that ball well before the break, in and out of the break, in between two defenders — great anticipation,” Morris said.

“When you throw the ball that way, just like on the interception he threw, if somebody runs the wrong route and you throw the ball with great anticipation that they’re going to be there and they’re not, that lets you down and you can get an interception.”

Morris’s answer came in response to a question about Penix’s chemistry with his receivers after a late-season quarterback switch from veteran Kirk Cousins to the 24-year-old first-round pick.

At halftime of Sunday night’s loss, Penix approached London. The rookie passer said he needed to be better, to which London reassured him by noting they’d only played six quarters together.

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Penix spent the first 14 weeks of the season as Atlanta’s scout team quarterback, meaning he didn’t get many reps with the starters. In addition to chemistry questions, the ball spins differently from left-handed quarterbacks, making the adjustment difficult for the Falcons’ wideouts.

Yet in must-have situations Sunday night, Penix and London connected well. They still feel they have room to grow — and progress should come with reps.

“They’re talking about their work and what they need to do on their indicators when breaks are going to happen and when he’s going to come out,” Morris said. “Some of the outside breaking routes that Drake’s been able to run that seem like they’re seamless, some of those pressure routes that we ran yesterday with Drake that are awesome, those are things you’ve got a lot of accumulated reps on.”

Morris pointed to a few inaccurate redzone passes Penix made against the Commanders as an instance of chemistry needing more work. That won’t happen overnight, and Morris added they’ll work on it this week in practice and into the offseason.

The standard, Morris said, can be found with the Cincinnati Bengals.

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“I can only think about the tandems that have been together for a long time,” Morris said. “We’re talking about the great ones, right, Joe Burrow and Ja’marr Chase. That is time on task, and that’s what we’re talking about. We’re talking about being able to get those things.

“And it is a tall task to ask the guy to step in and be able to do those things. It is the reason we didn’t actually want to do those things right away. We were put in the situation that we are.”

Morris, one can assume, is alluding to the Falcons starting Penix. They signed Cousins to a four-year contract worth up to $180 million this spring with intents of starting him for at least the next two seasons, during which he’s set to receive $90 million guaranteed in addition to a $10 million roster bonus for 2026 that’s paid March 17, 2025.

Atlanta didn’t pay Cousins that type of money to bench him after 14 starts, but after the 36-year-old tossed nine interceptions to just one touchdown in his final five appearances, the Falcons were left with no choice.

While not their plan, the Falcons are getting one positive: an early look at the player they think can be their long-term future under center.

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“I love the kid,” Morris said postgame Sunday. “I love the kid’s fight. I love the kid’s desire. He represents us. He represents Atlanta. He represents everything that’s good about us.”



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2 arrested in deadly drive-by shooting of 7-year-old Atlanta girl, police say

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2 arrested in deadly drive-by shooting of 7-year-old Atlanta girl, police say


Two suspects in a shooting that left a 7-year-old Atlanta girl dead and her mother injured are now in custody nearly a week after the violence, police say.

The shooting happened around 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 24 at a home on the 2200 block of Tiger Flowers Drive NW.

Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute between one of the victim’s family members and the gunman over the phone. Thirty minutes after the argument, the suspect came back and fired shots into the home, police said.

Officers responding to the scene found a 44-year-old woman and her daughter, identified as 7-year-old Zoe Price, shot. Medics rushed the pair to a local hospital, but Price died from her injuries.

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Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said the department’s homicide unit secured an arrest warrant for 19-year-old Preston Smith two days after the shooting. Smith turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail on March 2.

Schierbaum said officers executed a search warrant on Feb. 27 at a home on McDaniel Street. On that day, 17-year-old Steven Richardson, who police described as an “accomplice,” turned himself in to authorities.

Both men are charged with murder, criminal attempt to commit murder, three counts of aggravated assault, second-degree criminal damage to property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and four counts of third-degree cruelty to children. Richardson is also charged with possession of a Firearm by a Person Under 18.

At a press conference to announce the arrests, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens described Price as a bright and compassionate little girl who was “full of energy and full of joy.”

“Her life was cut short in an act of senseless violence, and that loss is not abstract. It is a chair that is going to be missing at the dinner table each night. It is an empty classroom seat next to her friends,” Dickens said.

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The mayor called the arrests “a step forward towards justice” for Price’s family and families across the city.

Dickens said that violence, like the act that took Price’s life, would not be tolerated in Atlanta.



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Atlanta Braves News: Top 30 Prospects, Starting Pitching Depth, More

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Atlanta Braves News: Top 30 Prospects, Starting Pitching Depth, More


On Monday, the Braves were able to earn another Spring Training victory over the Detroit Tigers. It was a game where the starting pitching depth of the Braves was on full display, as Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz, and Owen Murphy all threw multiple innings. While it is likely unwise to expect big things from any of these three arms this season, they are a part of the “next man up” group for the Braves if injury again impacts the rotation. Each had a solid effort today, a trend that will hopefully continue.



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Luke Kornet calls on Atlanta Hawks to cancel ‘Magic City Monday’ promo

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Luke Kornet calls on Atlanta Hawks to cancel ‘Magic City Monday’ promo


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An NBA player from an opposing team has called on the Atlanta Hawks to cancel their upcoming game promotion that revolves around celebrating a well-known local gentleman’s club.

San Antonio Spurs center Luke Kornet asked the Hawks to reconsider their “Magic City Monday” plans for a March 16 game against the Orlando Magic in a letter posted to Medium on Monday, March 2. Atlanta’s ownership group and front office recently touted the one-night collaboration as an ode to an “iconic cultural institution,” citing Magic City’s role and impact in Atlanta’s Black communities and hip-hop culture in the announcement.

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But Kornet wrote that “the Hawks failed to acknowledge that this place is, as the business itself boasts, ‘Atlanta’s premier strip club.’ “

“The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women, many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world,” Kornet continued. “We should promote an atmosphere that is protective and respectful of the daughters, wives, sisters, mothers, and partners that we know and love.

“Allowing this night to go forward without protest would reflect poorly on us as an NBA community, specifically in being complicit in the potential objectification and mistreatment of women in our society.”

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Magic City Kitchen is also slated to serve two versions of its “world famous” lemon pepper wings – Louwill Lemon Pepper BBQ – at the March 16 game. The flavor is named after three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year-winner, Lou Williams. Rapper T.I. is scheduled to perform at halftime and limited edition Magic City merchandise will be available to purchase at the game.

Magic City celebrated 40 years with a five-part STARZ docuseries, ‘Magic City: An American Fantasy,’ that was produced by Hawks principal owner Jami Gertz and Atlanta native Jermaine Dupri. Magic City founder Michael “Mr. Magic” Barney and T.I. are scheduled to record a live podcast from inside Atlanta’s State Farm Arena before the game.

Kornet, 30, hopes the Hawks and NBA officials listen to him instead.

“I’d like to encourage the league, its owners, employees and fans to hold the Atlanta Hawks to a higher standard of what they find worthy of promoting,” Kornet wrote. “I and others throughout the league were surprised by and object to the Hawks’ decision. We desire to provide an environment where fans of all ages can safely come and enjoy the game of basketball and where we can celebrate the history and culture of communities in good conscience. The celebration of a strip club is not conduct aligned with that vision.”

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Luke Kornet stats

Kornet is averaging a career-best 7.1 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 assists in his first season with the Spurs. This is the sixth team he’s played for in his nine NBA seasons, with his previous four years spent on the Boston Celtics.



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