The Atlanta Falcons lost to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, and head coach Kevin Stefanski still believes in Michael Penix Jr.
Penix threw for 286 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception in the Atlanta’s 35-13 loss to Kansas City. After the game, Stefanski said that Penix and the rest of the team will improve.
“Confident in Mike,” Stefanski said, per Marc Raimondi of ESPN. “He’ll be better, just like all of us will be better.”
The last three games have not been kind to Penix. After throwing seven touchdowns and no interceptions through Week 5, Week 6, and Week 7, Penix has thrown one touchdown and six interceptions in the last three games.
Michael Penix Jr. Is Struggling After a Strong Start
The Falcons have high hopes for Penix, who was selected No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. He missed the first two games of the year while recovering from knee surgery but started strong when he returned, leading the team to wins over the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints.
Even in the Falcons’ losses, Penix performed well, earning high passer ratings against the Baltimore Ravens (93.2) and Chicago Bears (108.8). But the wheels came off after the Bears game, as Penix threw four interceptions in the Falcons’ 16-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
As a quarterback, as a leader, I have to protect the ball. That’s the only way we’re going to be able to win these games,” Penix said after the Buccaneers game earlier this month, per the Associated Press. “…I am going to shake back. I promise you, I will.”
Falcons Defense Has Also Been an Issue
While Penix is a reason the Falcons are struggling, a bigger issue might be the defense. In the Chiefs game, the Falcons allowed 461 yards of offense, and Patrick Mahomes threw five touchdown passes. Atlanta has allowed at least 34 points in two of its last three games.
Earlier in the week, the Falcons traded safety Jessie Bates III to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Bates has been the Falcons’ most consistent defensive player since joining the team in 2023.
“Oftentimes one person doesn’t step up and fill the shoes of that person,” Stefanski said on Monday, per Will McFadden of AtlantaFalcons.com. “In this case, I feel like everybody steps up. This is on players; this is on coaches. We all have to step up in this case and provide whatever our football team needs in this instance. But, I want to go back to it, I really trust the group that we have both from a player standpoint and a coach standpoint.”
Kevin Stefanski Makes Prediction on Michael Penix Jr. After Falcons’ Loss to Chiefs