A week after Michael Penix Jr. earned NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors, the Atlanta Falcons watched him throw four interceptions in a shutout loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But afterward, the quarterback’s assessment of Tampa Bay’s defense wasn’t what the ugly box score might suggest.
Penix said Tampa Bay didn’t throw many different looks at Atlanta in Sunday’s 16-0 loss. The Buccaneers leaned more on coverage than pressure, according to the Falcons quarterback, raising questions about how a relatively familiar approach produced the worst interception total of his career.
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“They actually didn’t throw a whole bunch of looks at us this week. They played a lot more coverage and didn’t blitz as much,” Penix said, according to Sports Illustrated’s Darius Hayes.
The comment could sound like Penix was downplaying Tampa Bay’s defensive approach after a game in which the Falcons never scored. He was speaking specifically about the looks and pressure the Buccaneers used, rather than claiming their defense hadn’t played well.
Tampa Bay entered the matchup with a reputation for bringing pressure under coach Todd Bowles. The Buccaneers had recorded five sacks in each of their previous two games and ranked among the league leaders in takeaways.
They didn’t need an especially complicated plan to disrupt Penix on Sunday. Alex Anzalone intercepted him twice in the first quarter, and Jacob Parrish added a third pick before halftime. Zyon McCollum grabbed the fourth in the opening minutes of the final quarter, ending another Atlanta possession in Tampa Bay territory.
Penix finished 8 of 24 for 125 yards without a touchdown. He had entered the game with nine touchdown passes and just one interception this season. Three of Sunday’s picks came before halftime, leaving Atlanta trailing 9-0 in driving rain.
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For Penix, there was no pretending the performance met his standard.
“I ain’t never throw 4 picks in a game,” Penix said. “Man, I’m gonna shake back. I promise you that I will.”
Weather played a major part in the afternoon, with heavy rain turning Raymond James Stadium into a difficult place to throw or secure the football. But Penix wasn’t using the conditions as an excuse.
“The conditions were what the conditions were. Both teams played in it,” he said, according to ESPN’s Marc Raimondi.
Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield attempted only three passes and completed none, yet the Buccaneers won behind 324 rushing yards, a franchise record. Bucky Irving ran for 170 yards and a touchdown, while Kenny Gainwell added 140. Atlanta’s defense couldn’t contain either back, and the offense never found an answer.
The contrast with Penix’s previous appearance was sharp. He threw for 213 yards and three touchdowns without an interception in Atlanta’s 29-20 win over San Francisco, earning NFC weekly honors for the first time.
This time, Atlanta managed just eight first downs and went 0 for 12 on third down. Even a 76-yard completion to Jahan Dotson late in the game failed to produce points.
The loss dropped the Falcons to 3-5 and left them winless in two NFC South games. Penix had spent the previous month showing why Atlanta believes in him. Penix’s next test will be responding to a performance unlike anything he’d experienced before as a starting quarterback.
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