Michael Penix — Week 3: Six Scoring Drives in His Return
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Saturday, Sep 26
Penix completed 18 of 25 for 256 yards, one touchdown and one interception in his first start of the season, with no sacks, and Atlanta scored on six drives after a pick on the first one. Nine of the 18 completions went to Drake London for 194 yards, he added a two-point conversion throw, and the offense threw on five pass plays after halftime against nineteen runs, in a 35–14 win over the Packers.
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Nothing to nothing, 13 33 left in the first quarter, second and 10 at the Green Bay 49. Michael Penix's third pass of the season, short middle for Jahan Dotson, was intercepted by Xavier McKinney at the 40 and returned five yards. −4.9 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and −10.9 points of win probability, the chance of winning the game after the play against before it, the largest swing either way on any Falcons pass or run of the night. Green Bay went three plays and punted. Atlanta punted twice the rest of the night and scored on six drives: a touchdown, a field goal, a touchdown, a touchdown, a field goal and a touchdown.
The line: 18 of 25 for 256 yards, one touchdown, the one interception, no sacks, +9.5 expected points on 26 pass plays, the 20-sixth being the two-point throw to Blair after the last touchdown, which does not count as an attempt. 13 of 20 for a hundred 14 before halftime, five of five for a hundred 42 after it. The touchdown was third and five at the Green Bay five with a minute oh two left in the half, up 10 to seven, short left to Austin Hooper. Eight of his throws came on third down: seven completed, four converted, including Drake London for 16 on third and one, London for 16 on third and seven, London for 68 on third and two from the Atlanta 16, and the Hooper touchdown. He was flagged once for intentional grounding, on second and one in the first quarter. Penix did not carry the ball; his two kneel-downs are the −2 rushing yards on the sheet.
Where it went: 10 targets to London, who caught nine for a hundred 94, so a hundred 94 of the 256 passing yards went to one receiver. Three to Dotson, two each to Robinson, Kyle Pitts, Zachariah Branch, Olamide Zaccheaus and Hooper, and the two-point throw to Blair. 20 pass plays before halftime, five after plus the two-point throw, while Atlanta ran 39 times for 244 yards. The Falcons' passing game had ranked last of the 32 teams in expected points added per pass play in each of the first two weeks, at about −25 in total in Week 2; Thursday's was +9.5.
Cooper Rush started the first two games and threw all 22 attempts in Week 1 and 17 of 32 in Week 2 before Jack Strand relieved him; the Falcons announced on Monday that Penix would start in Green Bay, per the team, his first start since he tore his left knee ligament in week 11 of last season, per ESPN. Tua Tagovailoa, inactive the first two weeks, carried no injury designation and dressed as the backup, per the Falcons' injury report and Pro Football Talk, and did not play. Back in June the preview's read on Penix was nine games before the knee on a nine-to-three touchdown-to-interception ratio, a real starting line if he is on the field to repeat it, with a knee and a competition in the way. Thursday was the first entry on the field: one touchdown, one interception, no sacks, and an offense that scored 35. One start with one receiver taking three-quarters of the yardage is a start and not a season. Atlanta is at the Saints on Monday the fifth.
_Data via nflverse._
When Michael Penix's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
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