Former Washington Huskies star quarterback Michael Penix Jr. did everything he needed to do to set the Atlanta Falcons up for an overtime thriller against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday’s NFL regular season debut, but it wasn’t enough.
Penix, the No. 8 overall pick by the Falcons in the 2024 NFL draft, dazzled in his fourth start for the NFC South organization, going 27-for-42 through the air for 298 yards and a touchdown, a 50-yarder to running back Bijan Robinson, along with an additional six carries for 21 yards and a 4-yard score.
The second rushing touchdown of his young career gave the Falcons a slim 20-17 lead just before the two-minute warning, the first lead for the runner-up for the 2023 Heisman Trophy since the 9:03 mark in the second quarter.
Penix, who finished his sixth NFL game and fourth start without an interception for the first time in his short career, completed four straight passes that totaled 44 yards and got the Falcons all the way down to the Buccaneers’ 26-yard line before a pair of incompletions set up a game-tying 44-yard field goal attempt by Younghoe Koo, who converted two kicks from 36 and 41 yards out earlier in the game.
However, the game-tying quick went wide right and with it, Penix’s second career victory as a starter in the NFL, despite his performance being more than worthy of a win.
Despite the loss, Penix impressed Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, who took some time to praise the former Husky star in his postgame press conference.
“I told him after the game, he’s going to be a problem in this league for a long time,” Mayfield said. “I think he’s a great player. He’s decisive, goes through his reads, trusts his guys. He’s young, but he’s got it.”