ATLANTA — Michael Penix Jr. is as advertised.
Ever since the Atlanta Falcons drafted Penix with the No. 8 overall pick last year, the quarterback has been consistently described as cool, calm and collected. He showed glimpses of that demeanor as a rookie. But the fourth quarter of Sunday's Week 1 opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers left no doubt he is exactly all that under pressure.
"He's been poised in great moments, he's been poised in big moments, and he's been poised in moments like that," Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said. "I can't say enough positive things about the young man and what he is able to do — even up until his last throw, potentially giving us a chance to win it in regulation."
Ultimately, they didn't. The Buccaneers won, 23-20, inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Falcons ate most of the clock in the final period thanks to an 18-play scoring drive that began at their own 9-yard line and ended with a 4-yard scramble from Penix across the goal line. That's 91 yards of progress, even if 30 of them were gifted from Buccaneers penalties. It was easily the longest series of the game.
The touchdown put the Falcons up by three points with about two minutes remaining.
"Obviously you say 18 plays, you don't really see that too often," Penix said. "So, for the O-line and the receivers and everybody that's running routes to be able to still continue to come out there and go full speed and play at a high level on Play 13, 14, 15, 16, it's great to see.
"I'll put a shoutout to our strength and conditioning team making sure we're ready for those moments when we got to be out on the field for a little bit longer than we're used to."