Michael Penix Jr.: Atlanta Falcons do ‘whatever it takes to win’ | PSNFF | NFL on NBC

Michael Penix Jr.: Atlanta Falcons do ‘whatever it takes to win’ | PSNFF | NFL on NBC

representing the Bay, sir. You know it. Congratulations on this win. Thank you. This win from your perspective, what was most impressive? What are you going to hold dear to your heart most of this game tonight? Um, just seeing the guys push through, you know, um, just watching the offensive line, the way that they worked all week. You know, last week it was talked about us. We weren’t able to run the ball, but they came out and showed it today. So, so to be able to see them to be relentless and go out there and and put up the numbers that we did in the run game, it was awesome to see. Sure was. Did the Vikings surprise you not blitzing as much as they typically do? Uh, I wouldn’t say it surprised me. Uh, we heard early on in the press conference, um, you know, be flow over there of their coach, you know, he said that they got to pick their spot. So, u, we knew whenever those spots did come, I had I had to find my answers and know where to go with the ball. But, um, today they didn’t blitz like you said as much. Yeah. Coach Morris told me before the game, he said, “We’re gonna make this an old school game. They got to stop us running the football. We got to stop them.” Was that kind of the mindset coming in? Yeah, for sure. Um, doing whatever it take to win. That’s what it’s always about, you know, just trying to find a way to win. And today was in the run game and, you know, the guys, they displayed that very well. Why do you look so comfortable against the Blitz? When you have a lot of young quarterbacks, they get really nervous and despite all the different movement, all the guys stepping in, you know, the B gap mugging, you seem very comfortable and you know, exactly where did that come from? Uh, just seeing a lot of football, you know, been being through a lot, you know, um, you know, my my history of, you know, just injuries and stuff like that, you know, I just go out there and just play play free, you know, play free of worry, free of doubt, you know, uh, free of expectations and go out there and play for God’s glory alone. So, you know, I know all my outlets. I know I know the guys I have on the field and you know I I just go out there and be the best version of me I can be. Absolutely. First drive you guys have, you’re down in the red zone and it’s a fourth and one and I don’t know if it’s the noise or the play doesn’t come in quick enough. You’re kind of that’s as hyped as I’ve seen come this play. Uh what was going on then? What was the problem? U just just some miscommunication. That’s all. you know, um, things that we know will clean up in the future. But at the end of the day, you know, it’s my job to be able to go out there and, um, get the offense set and get us in a play so that we can go out there, execute at a high level. So, I got to do better in that sense. I thought it was really interesting. You mentioned listening to Brian Flores press conference and him saying, “We’re going to pick the spots, too.” Zack Robinson, your offensive coordinator, we talked to him before the game. Same thing. He goes, “We listened to the press conference. He said, “We’re going to pick our spots.” What’s going through your mind when you see a blitz coming? um know where my outlets are. You know, obviously know knowing the protection that I’m in so that um we can get into a protection so we can pick it up and if they do bring an extra guy that we can’t we can’t handle knowing where my outlets are, knowing where I’m hot at and be able to get the ball to the guys. Zack Robinson seems like he’s an easy guy to kind of talk to and communicate. How has he helped you develop as a quarterback? Yeah. Um, I say the biggest thing is trusting in me, you know, trusting in me and this offense, you know, you know, keeping the whole offense open and, you know, allowing me to go out there and play football, you know, and um, I feel like our relationship has grown, you know, since since last year, you know, each and every day, just talking to each other, you know, just getting a feel for for how how I him getting a feel for how I play, me, getting a feel for how he he called the plays so that we can be on the same page whenever we’re out there. What about that offensive line? You know, you got to give props to them, boy. Oh, man. Man, hats off to them. you know, I mentioned it um whenever I first came on, but man, they they’ve been working extremely hard all week. You know, we heard a lot of the naysayers, you know, saying we couldn’t run the ball and stuff like that and how we couldn’t do that with Bean and Tyler, but you know, those guys showed it today. U they show relentless effort all day, all week, you know, leading up to today. So, we knew whenever we came in here what we were going to do. Got him. DJ Williams, your quarterback coach, told me that he was not concerned about you at all tonight and what you’re gonna see because last year’s game, you weren’t even playing, but he said, “You’re right on the edge of the sideline looking at every play. Hey, here’s where the ball should go. I’m into this.” And you almost played this game last year in your mind. Uh, is that the way you approach things? Yeah, for sure. Um, whenever I was out last year, you know, all I can do is take the mental reps. You know, the the only thing that you don’t get is obviously obviously the physical aspect of it. I can be on the sideline and say I would have threw the ball here. But obviously, you know, knowing you got a rush coming and stuff like that, you know. So, just uh taking as much mental reps as I can so that whenever my time did come, you know, I could just go out there and play play fast. Kyle Pittz is a guy that I always talk about with the level of talent that he has. Um what advice did you give him? I know you’re close friends with him. What advice did you give him to kind of forget about the naysayers and just go out there and play? Just be you. Just be you, man. And trust trust in this offense, you know? trust trust in your abilities and trust that I’m going to find you whenever you get open and get you the ball and and that’s all it is, you know, and obviously like you said, you know, we built that relationship over this off seasonason. You know, we spent a lot of time golfing and stuff together, you know, but a lot of them conversations are always like, “Hey, man, just be you when we go out there, run fast, and when you play fast, you know, nobody can stop you. You’re a mismatch, you know, to to a safety or a linebacker.” And uh he he showed that a couple times today. Yeah, it seems like he’s working because um he’s out there playing with great effort and he’s and he’s productive. He is. Mike, I got to ask you about your release, your throwing motion. I This is lefty lightning now. The way this thing comes out, how do you get the ball out so quick? What do you think about with this throwing motion? Um, I don’t think that’s the point. Yeah, I I just throw it. Um, have you refined it? Have you always just been able to get it out like that? I was always told I was always a quick release guy. I don’t I don’t know where it came from. Um, but I It’s good. Hey, let’s watch one. Let’s watch one. Hey, talk us through this motion. Even though you don’t think about it, at least you could tell us how you see it. I mean, the footwork’s pretty. What are you looking at right there? Are you looking at the safety and kind of baiting them, trying to hold them? Yeah, on that one, I was looking at the linebacker, you know, um trying to trying to move the hook curl backer so that I can get that curl window. So, I was taking my eyes away so I can get it to to Mooney on that curl. He sees things before. That’s you just have it’s a gift. We we’re trying to figure it out, but it’s like a defensive player that has tremendous instincts. you have those instincts as a quarterback and it’s rare for us to see a young quarterback like that. Yeah. Um it’s just a lot of reps. A lot of reps, you know, and uh a lot of confidence in and what I what I’m capable of doing. And obviously, you know, for me, whenever I’m out there, I know that the defense, they don’t know what play we’re running. So, I can move a guy with my eyes and be able to complete the ball right behind them because at the end of the day, he’s they’re watching us, especially when they’re in spot drop zone and stuff like that. Um but do you know most young quarterbacks don’t think like that? They don’t process the information as as quickly as you do. That’s just what it is. I’m just saying. Yeah. I appreciate you’re not young quarterback. You played a lot of snaps in college football and um you know, it’s it’s showing. It really is. I appreciate you guys. You know, Michael, we always talked about you were playing too damn good to be one and three as a starter. So, how did you keep a positive mindset even though the results in the win column weren’t necessarily there fast? Um, I just know it’s it’s not always going to be perfect. You know, things not always going to go how you want it to go, but at the end of the day, um, for me, I want to be able to go out there and display the my best my best I can for for our team to help us be in position to win football games. And, um, when we do, it’s great. When we don’t, um, we got to find ways to clean it up so that we can the next week. But I I don’t focus on those things. I just focus on what I can do better to to help this team win. Now, you guys just coming off a big win. You just came out of the locker room. What was your message to those guys in there after the game? Man, it was just awesome. And I I was I went to every offensive lineman, you know, just telling them, you know, um it it was great to see what they did today, you know, hearing them in the huddle, you know. Um I’m not going to copy some of the words that was said, but you know, just just the Do they get fired up when you run the ball like like you guys ran it tonight? They got fired up. They said keep running it and we did. And um we we we were successful. Also went to uh Coach Brick, man. Obviously, you know, seeing what the defense did today to to be able to hold him to no touchdowns and and go out there. It was one drive early on in the game where they got down to the two yard line and we held him to to a field goal. It’s just big stuff big things like that, you know, that defense uh showed today. You know, it makes the offense feel feel a lot better feel great and, you know, know that we can go out there and win football games with a defense that’s going to help us. Amen.

Michael Penix Jr. joins the set to reflect on the Falcons’ Week 2 win over the Vikings, discussing his approach to attacking a defense and how Atlanta can use this result as momentum moving forward. #NFL #SNF #NBCSports #AtlantaFalcons #MichaelPenixJr #PeacockTV
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Michael Penix Jr.: Atlanta Falcons do ‘whatever it takes to win’ | PSNFF | NFL on NBC
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