The Atlanta Falcons turned the page on the brief Kirk Cousins era after just 14 games and handed the reins to 2024 No. 8 overall pick Michael Penix Jr. The early returns were good as Penix showed off physical tools that were well beyond Cousins, and Matt Ryan, for that matter.
CBS Sports' Zachary Pereles took a look at last year's rookie quarterbacks, which included six in the first round, and focused on what each needed to do better in year two. He used analytics to point out a flaw from last season, and then what offensive coordinator Zac Robinson may do more of with Penix in 2025.
"Penix has an absolute hose of a left arm, but reining it in will be key," wrote Pereles on CBS Sports. "Over 13% of his passes were off-target, the seventh-highest rate among 47 players who took at least 75 dropbacks.
"Using Next Gen Stats, Penix had a -11.2 completion percentage over expected in a crucial game against the Commanders and was at -6.3 a week later against the Panthers. These are throws he needs to make, especially because he can make so many high-level throws."
The big-time throws that Penix can make are what have Falcons fans salivating heading into the fall. Atlanta has a bevy of weapons, including Drake London, Bijan Robinson, the constantly overlooked Darnell Mooney, and the mercurial Kyle Pitts, among others.
The missed throws on the easier routes are being chalked up to poor timing for a quarterback who didn't have a single practice rep with a first-team receiver until the Wednesday before his first start.
While Pereles chides Penix for a -6.3 completion percentage against the Panthers, another way to look at that stat: Penix cut his missed throws in half after just two weeks of working with the No. 1 offense.
Pereles hadn't finished with the Falcons, though. He sees an untapped resource for Penix and Robinson that could play a major factor in big plays for Atlanta.
"We'll also be interested in how Penix develops as a play-action thrower," Pereles continued. "Atlanta did essentially no play-action passing with Kirk Cousins a shell of himself post-Achilles tear. But they dabbled in it with Penix. Though Penix is not a scrambler, he's not a bad athlete, and one would think offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, plucked off the Sean McVay coaching tree, would like to expand that."
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