Without Penix, Atlanta’s hopes of victory faded. Tagovailoa managed to complete two passes for 34 yards, but the game-ending interception was all too familiar to those who watched his final years in Miami. With Penix’s status uncertain, the rollercoaster of a season appeared set to take another dive.
Instead, Atlanta appears to have escaped the worst. Penix will practice in a limited fashion Wednesday as the Falcons continue to monitor his status, but as Stefanski said, the quarterback is feeling better than he did in the aftermath of the injury suffered when he was sacked with 27 seconds remaining in regulation.
The Falcons will need him. Since Penix’s return from last year’s knee injury, their offense has enjoyed a massive turnaround, jumping from an average of eight points scored per game in Weeks 1-2 to 40 in Weeks 3-4.
With the Carolina Panthers narrowly ahead of the 2-3 Falcons in the NFC South standings and dates with Chicago, San Francisco and Tampa Bay awaiting Atlanta in the next three weeks, there’s no time to waste.
