It was one of the more unexpected results of the week 11 slate of games as the Denver Broncos absolutely throttled a talented Atlanta Falcons team to the tune of 38-6. Given the state of the game, Atlanta decided to give their rookie quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. some live reps as the game was clearly out of hand.
Seeing it was late into the contest, fans caught only a glimpse of their future franchise quarterback, but what was shown was a bit of what everyone saw during Penix’s time in Washington in his explosive arm talent. Ultimately Penix completed 2 of his 4 attempted passes for 24 yards in the closing minutes of the game.
The real question in the midst of this rookie sighting is when fans might see Penix again. The Falcons were not that long ago clear favorites to win the NFC South behind veteran Kirk Cousins, but as the losses begin to pile up in the trainwreck style they have in the last two weeks, one has to wonder if the Falcons may want to see what Penix is capable of with the talent surrounding him. It’s unlikely a swap will happen immediately, but one or two more losses on the record are bound to create a fury of questions and force the hand of the coaching staff to pull the trigger on their first-round quarterback.