Breaking down every throw from Preseason Player of the Game: Michael Penix Jr.

Clint Goss

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Breaking down every throw from Preseason Player of the Game: Michael Penix Jr. image

Calm. Cool. Collected.

“I've been playing since I was five years old. So, no nerves, no jitters. I was just ready to go."

- Michael Penix Jr.

Player of the Game QB Michael Penix Jr. sure looked it vs. the Miami Dolphins in Preseason Week 1. 

Stat Sheet & Target Allocation

  • 9/16 (56% completion rate), 104 yards

Fun Fact! The Atlanta Falcons gave Penix 1 total yard of rushing offense while in the game.

  • WR Casey Washington (3)
  • WR Chris Blair (2) 
  • TE John Fitzpatrick (2) 
  • RB Carlos Washington Jr. (1) 
  • RB Jase McClellan (1)

Comparatively, below are the stats for Offensive Coordinator Zac Robinson’s other two participating quarterbacks:

QB3 Taylor Heinicke 

  • 4/11, 11 yards, 2 rushes, 0 yards

QB-Ex Nathan Rourke 

  • 3/13, 37 yards, 2 rushes, 24 yards
  • Combined - 

7/24 (29%), 48 yards, 4 rushes, 24 yards

Who Let The Dogs Out? Woof.

Throw #1 ✅ 7 yards to WR #82 Casey Washington

  • 2nd & 13 @ ATL 20
  • Play: Spot Package 

A young QB can have a lot of friends, a reliable line of scrimmage, for example. OC Zac Robinson getting Penix’s feet wet with a spot concept is friendly. Carlos Washington Jr. takes the flat route out of the backfield, KhaDarel Hoge is the vertical threat, Chris Blair the slant, and Casey Washington simply sits underneath the middle hook defender for a 7 yard catch.  

Throw #2  ❌ 23 yard try to WR #82 Casey Washington 

  • 3rd & 6 @ ATL 27
  • Route: Go (straight)

Not convinced Washington shouldn't have had this one. Seemingly looking for the back shoulder, meanwhile Penix was dropping it in a bucket over the sideline shoulder. Yes, Penix could have led Washington out a little more, the touch was there, but it was a good ball for two exciting rookies with an obvious connection hammering down timing. 

Throw #3 ✅ 4 yards to WR #19 Chris Blair

  • 2nd & 9 @ ATL 42
  • Route: Speed Out 

Blair subsequently fumbled and lost possession to the Dolphins’ defense.

Throw #4 ❌17 yard try to WR #82 Casey Washington

  • 1st & 10 @ ATL 20 
  • Play: PA

Washington broke his route off early and forced immediate reaction by Penix with no backloaded foot being set. A bad route (14-16 yard range, Penix wanted 18-20), bad timing for two rookies in their first NFL game.  

Throw #5 - ✅ Throw of the Game - 41 yards on sideline to #19 WR Chris Blair

  • 2nd & 10 @ ATL 20
  • Play: Four Verts

22 air yards on the pass with a perfect stack by Blair and a perfect touch spiral by Penix. Aggressive downfield early because well, that’s the name of Penix’s game and why Raheem Morris took the shot in the Top 10.  

Throw #6 ❌13 yard try to WR #82 Casey Washington

  • 1st & 10 @ MIA 39 
  • Route: Out 

Penix was still so geeked from the 41 yard completion it was simply a classic airmail with bad footwork.

Throw #7 ✅ 16 yards to WR #82 Casey Washington

  • 2nd & 15 @ MIA 44
  • Route:Y-Cross

2nd best throw of the day, arguably #1. Penix makes it to a deathly difficult third progression and throws in between four defenders, holding the MIKE with his eyes. 

#85 Y Ross Dwelley (Out) then #80 Josh Ali (In) then #82. #12 is X KhaDarel Hodge. 

Throw # 8 ❌ 21 yard try to RB #28 Carlos Washington Jr. 

  • 3rd & 3 @ MIA 21
  • Route: Go

Free rushing defensive end with a misjudged offensive line shift. That’s an area Penix is going to look more like a rookie. While brilliant, he didn’t do a lot under center in that sense at Washington. Penix did good to not get killed here and threw an actually solid ball. 

Throw #9 ✅ 13 yards to RB #28 Carlos Washington Jr. 

  • 2nd & 11 @ MIA 17 

Check down after three reads in progression. Penix didn’t see this one well. 

Throw #10 ✅ 7 yards to TE #87 John Fitzpatrick 

  • 2nd & Goal @ MIA 8 
  • Route: Flat 

1 inch away from TD. Would’ve liked to see Marist’s finest ole Fitzpatrick’s touchdown dance. Electric. 

Throw #11 ❌ 1 yard try to WR #82 Casey Washington 

  • 3rd & 1 @ MIA 1

The fade route? To Washington? Ugly play, ugly route. Washington was jammed from the start and dancing. Inside slant move would’ve been better if Zac Robinson just had to throw the ball. 

Throw #12 ❌ 2 yard try to RB #30 Jase McClellan

  • 1st & 10 @ ATL 10 
  • Route: PA HB Screen 

Throw #13 ✅ 9 yards to RB #30 Jase McClellan 

  • 2nd & 10 @ ATL 10 
  • Route: Slip Screen 

Throw #14 ✅ 3 yards to TE #87 John Fitzpatrick

  • 3rd & 1 @ ATL 19 
  • Route: Flat 

One comment about Week 2 against Baltimore, interested to see Fitzpatrick’s involvement in the passing game. 

Throw #15 ✅ 4 yards to WR #82 Casey Washington

  • 2nd & 10 @ ATL 22 
  • Route: Quick Zone Curl 

Adding to Washington’s early “security blanket” connection with Penix, he very naturally sits down in zone and finds soft spots in the defense, particularly at the second level. Easy, Breezy, Beautiful. 

Throw #16 ❌ 6 yard try to WR #12 KhaDarel Hodge

  • 3rd & 6 @ ATL 26 
  • Route: Out

While Falcons fans want more, 16 pass attempts and a full quarter of drives (1 drive in the 2nd as well) was plenty on a sloppy field.

Clint Goss

Clint Goss Photo

Clint Goss is a Falcons and NFL writer, as well as the the on-air co-host of The Falcon Fade radio show at 99.1 WDJY and lead NFL Draft Analyst for Stadium Rant. He is a Rhetoric graduate of Georgia College & State University. A Roswell resident, find Clint at Mercedes-Benz Stadium every Sunday. You can follow Clint actively on Twitter/X @NFLDraftDome.