The Atlanta Falcons didn’t come out of Week 1 the way they wanted to. Kicker Younghoe Koo missed a potential game-tying field goal that would have sent the game to overtime. In his first game as the full-time starter, Michael Penix Jr. played well — even earning a stamp of approval from Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield.
Penix is living out his dream of playing in the NFL after a college career that nearly ended it all. Now, he plays with a renewed mindset, focused on staying present.
“I don't really focus on it anymore," Penix said this week of his injury-filled past. "I talked about it before, my past. 2021 was a tough season for me because I was thinking about injuries. I wasn't able to play at a high level because that's where my mind was. I wasn't able to play at the level that I wanted to,” Penix told the media. “Now it's like, I've been injured four times. I just pray, trusting my faith and trust that God's going to protect me. I go out there and have fun because at any moment it could be my last play.”
This week, the Falcons will travel to Minnesota to face off against the Vikings — who also have a second-year quarterback entering the season as a full-time starter. The two will square off under the lights on Sunday Night Football, where a bit of history will be made.
“When Michael Penix Jr. and J.J. McCarthy take the field in Week 2, it'll mark the first ‘Sunday Night Football’ game where both QBs have a career total of five starts or fewer,” Falcons beat writer Terrin Waack wrote.
McCarthy also had an impressive Week 1, leading his squad to a massive comeback win over division rival Chicago. This Sunday is shaping up to be not only exciting — but historic.
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Atlanta will look to bounce back, as starting the season 0-2 would put them in an early hole. For McCarthy and the Vikings, it’s about keeping momentum and staying hot.