The 24-year-old rookie, who made 45 starts in college, retired with a rifle. He made confident throws from the jump, showed off his strong arm and fired balls – even if the ATL receivers dropped a few too early. On his first pass, the rookie was squeezed and delivered a rope that Ray-Ray McCloud couldn’t hold on to. The pop of his passes was notable, and his pocket mobility compared to that of Kirk Cousins ​​helped a Falcons offense that was stuck in the mud.

With the offense floundering due to an immobile quarterback who seemed to have lost some of his confidence, Morris switched to rookie. Penix immediately alleviated some of the problems plaguing the Falcons, who seemed to have been playing in a glass case.

In his first NFL start, Penix was aggressive downfield in the first half, throwing for more than 10 yards on 43.8% of his attempts, nearly 10% more often than Cousins ​​(34.5%), according to Next Gen Stats. The rookie also didn’t get a sack despite being pressured 14 times.

“The plan came a little early,” Morris said of the move to Penix. “But the boy was ready and we had plenty of time to develop him. The boy himself did a great job of preparing for the moment when it wasn’t too big. I was really proud and happy with the effort.”

Regardless of the circumstances that brought both Cousins ​​and Penix to ATL in 2024, that is in the past. The future is upon us with a rookie quarterback who has a chance to take the Falcons to the postseason.

“I don’t know if it’s a feeling of relief, but as I watched him do what he said during the game, I knew that we created the situations in practice that made it difficult for him,” Morris said. “…But just watching him do it was more fun than actual relief. It wasn’t a relief. For me it was a feeling of pride.”

Sunday’s sailing victory, coupled with Tampa Bay’s loss in Dallas, allowed Atlanta to retake the NFC South lead with two games left – in Washington against Carolina. The Falcons are in the driver’s seat and the rookie is in the driver’s seat. Buckle up.