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.”
FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — When Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Matthew Judon spoke publicly in mid-August for the first time since being traded from the New England Patriots, he said he didn’t expect a new contract because Atlanta didn’t know him yet.
Through the season’s first 10 games, the Falcons learned a shell of Judon.
The four-time Pro Bowl selection who arrived in Atlanta with 32 sacks in his previous 39 games before arrival found himself in an unfamiliar spot: incapable of terrorizing opposing quarterbacks.
Judon had 1.5 sacks in his first two games. Over the next eight weeks, he recorded zero sacks, zero tackles for loss and one quarterback hit. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris acknowledged that Judon hadn’t given Atlanta what it expected.
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Suddenly, it flipped.
Once symbolic of the Falcons’ dismal pass rush, which had only 10 sacks in 11 games, Judon has been a steady contributor on a unit that leads the NFL in sacks over the past five weeks with 21.
The reason for the sudden switch? Judon, who has four sacks, five tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and a 27-yard pick-six in his past six games, thinks it’s about finishing.
“Just getting (quarterbacks) on the ground,” Judon told Atlanta Falcons on SI on Friday. “Kind of getting a little bit more opportunities and kind of getting more schemed up in the game plan.”
Judon had only three full weeks of practice between the time he was traded to Atlanta and the start of the regular season. He felt comfortable and confident quickly, which he attributed to outside linebackers coach Jacquies Smith, senior defensive assistant Dave Huxtable and his teammates.
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As such, Judon said his recent uptick in production isn’t due to comfort — he’s long felt fine in Atlanta’s defense. He played a season-high 51 snaps in the Falcons’ 30-24 overtime loss to the Washington Commanders on Dec. 29, but the week before, he played a season-low 42% of defensive snaps.
His pure snap share hasn’t changed. It’s possible his role and responsibilities have.
“Just go watch the tape,” Judon said. “Y’all get the tape just like us, and y’all can determine that. I think we got to play the game plan. We got to play the play that’s called.”
That responsibility falls on defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake, who’s reinvented his stock since the bye week by leading his unit into the top 10 in several metrics, including yards allowed per game, both pass and run defense and, of course, sacks.
At the Week 12 bye, the Falcons did a thorough self-scout. Their coaches identified problems, and their players have helped fix them, Morris said.
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Judon is perhaps the best example — and Morris said his four-tackle, two-tackle-for-loss, one-sack performance last time out against Washington was his best as a Falcon, an assessment that extends beyond his statistics.
“He’s done an amazing job the last couple of weeks,” Morris said Friday. “He’s given us some production, not only in the pass rush game, but also in his run fits and things of that nature, doing some really good football plays.
“Unfortunately for us, (Washington) was a tough loss. But yeah, he really stood up and did some really good things for us and was playing really well.”
Lake agreed with Morris that Judon is coming off his best game in Atlanta. It’s the culmination of daily hard work that Judon has put in since his first practice with the Falcons, and on a broader scale, proof of one of Lake’s personal slogans: work works.
“So proud of him,” Lake said Thursday. “You watch him just put in the hard work, put in the hard work. It’s just awesome to see the results for him. I’m excited to see what’s going to come next on Sunday. I know he’s playing with a lot of confidence and he’s just continuing to get better.
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“His hard work is the reason why he’s played at a higher level as of late.”
Taken in a capsule, Judon’s season has been middle-of-the-road. He’s registered 25 total pressures and 16 hurries, according to Pro Football Focus, while ranking ninth league-wide with three passes batted at the line of scrimmage — one of which led to a pick-six for linebacker Troy Andersen in a Week 4 victory over the New Orleans Saints. He also has 20 run stops, which ranks 46th league wide.
But on a smaller scope, the 32-year-old Judon has been much better lately. He’s tied for 16th in the NFL with four sacks since the start of Week 11 — with a bye week mixed in. Among those who have played six or fewer games during that time, he’s tied for seventh.
Yet somewhat contrary to Judon’s statement, the Falcons haven’t necessarily altered his role schematically within the defense. Morris said he’s unsure whether Judon meant him specifically being schemed up, or rather the Falcons’ scheme being better suited for the pass rushers overall.
Because, as Morris noted, the rest of Atlanta’s defensive front has produced well since the bye week, too. Outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie leads the NFL with five sacks since Week 13. Inside linebacker Kaden Elliss is tied for third with four sacks. Rookie linebacker JD Bertrand recorded his first sack on a blitz against Washington.
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Morris used Judon’s sack against the Commanders as an example. The 6-foot-3-inch, 265-pounder came unblocked off the edge, which happened due to the left side of Washington’s offensive line sliding to its right in preparation for additional pressure.
So, as much as Judon’s play has improved, the recent gains made in Atlanta’s defensive scheme and personnel utilization have also been central to his late-season leap.
“To say you schemed up some things, I think it’s more just the coaches doing a really good job of finding holes in people’s protection and finding ways for us to get out there and win,” Morris said.
Judon has won lots lately. He’s also enjoyed himself in the process, eavesdropping on safety Jessie Bates III’s postgame press conference after a 34-7 win over the New York Giants on Dec. 22 and embracing something of a big brother-little brother relationship with Ebiketie.
Perhaps now, more than ever, the true Judon has arrived in Atlanta.
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“Judon, he’s got a lot of criticism,” Bates said. “And he’s been the same guy since he walked in this building. And just to see him continue to go to work every single day, just excited for him.”
So, the contract? Judon’s deal expires after the 2024 season. Lake deferred any and all contract discussions to Morris and general manager Terry Fontenot, who has stressed in the past he won’t negotiate within the media.
Both parties remain focused on finishing this season strong. The Falcons (8-8) are still alive for the postseason, but they’ll need to beat the Carolina Panthers (4-12) at 1 p.m. Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium and hope the Saints (5-11) upset the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7) at the same time.
The odds currently aren’t in Atlanta’s favor — The Athletic‘s playoff projection model gives the Falcons a 13% chance to make the playoffs.
In essence, Sunday’s game may be Judon’s last in Atlanta, which could end a brief stint capped by a mission he’s still unsure if he fulfilled.
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“Shit, a little bit, I feel like,” Judon said when asked what he proved about himself to the Falcons. “I just feel like, kind of, the season is the season. I wish we could have been in the playoffs and accomplished more.”
There’s still, though mathematically improbable, a chance the Falcons do that. It’s possible the same can be said for Judon’s future in Atlanta.
Atlanta Hawks (18-16, seventh in the Eastern Conference) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (18-14, sixth in the Western Conference)
Los Angeles; Friday, 10:30 p.m. EST
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BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Lakers -4; over/under is 231.5
BOTTOM LINE: Atlanta takes on Los Angeles for a non-conference matchup.
The Lakers have gone 11-5 in home games. Los Angeles gives up 114.1 points and has been outscored by 2.1 points per game.
The Hawks are 8-9 on the road. Atlanta is the Eastern Conference leader with 45.8 rebounds per game led by Jalen Johnson averaging 10.2.
The Lakers are shooting 47.2% from the field this season, 0.1 percentage points lower than the 47.3% the Hawks allow to opponents. The Hawks average 13.0 made 3-pointers per game this season, 0.4 fewer makes per game than the Lakers allow.
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TOP PERFORMERS: Anthony Davis is averaging 26.1 points, 11.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists and two blocks for the Lakers.
Trae Young is averaging 22.3 points and 12 assists for the Hawks.
LAST 10 GAMES: Lakers: 6-3, averaging 111.1 points, 43.6 rebounds, 25.7 assists, 8.2 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 46.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 108.4 points per game.
Hawks: 5-5, averaging 119.3 points, 45.4 rebounds, 29.4 assists, 10.8 steals and 5.3 blocks per game while shooting 46.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 120.5 points.
INJURIES: Lakers: Jarred Vanderbilt: out (knee), Gabe Vincent: day to day (oblique), Christian Wood: out (knee), Anthony Davis: day to day (ankle), Jalen Hood-Schifino: day to day (hamstring).
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Hawks: Jalen Johnson: day to day (shoulder), Bogdan Bogdanovic: day to day (leg), Kobe Bufkin: out for season (shoulder), Larry Nance Jr.: out (hand), Cody Zeller: out (personal), Trae Young: day to day (hand).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
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