Michael Penix Jr. — Week 9: One Interception, 50 Rushing Yards

Michael Penix Jr. steadied after a four-interception week but could not keep pace with the Bengals: 20 of 31 for 162 yards, a touchdown and an interception, no sacks, +3 scrambles for 50 yards, in a 34-17 loss. His 31 dropbacks were worth -2.0 expected points added (EPA), what a play was worth given down, distance and field position, -0.06 each; the scrambles added +4.1.

His legs made his biggest play. Tied 7-7 in the first quarter, after an offside penalty erased a third-down incompletion, he faced third and 5 at the Cincinnati 40 and ran left for 23 yards to the 17, +2.8 EPA and 8.6 points of win probability, the estimate of each side's chance to win. Three snaps later a 6-yard scramble to the 1 came back on a holding penalty, and Atlanta settled for a field goal. His touchdown was a 1-yard throw to Charlie Woerner on the opening drive.

The interception came down 34-17 with 4:06 left: second and 1 at his own 40, Barrett Carter picked off a short throw for Bijan Robinson at the 43, -5.5 EPA. In the second quarter, down 14-10 and 21-10, his third-down throws for Kyle Pitts and Olamide Zaccheaus fell incomplete and Atlanta punted both times.

It was below his season but well above last week. Through Week 8, in six games, he had completed 104 of 168 for 1,282 yards, 9 touchdowns and 5 interceptions, +3.1 EPA on 177 dropbacks, +0.02 each. His completion percentage over expected (CPOE), how often he completed passes against what their difficulty predicted, was -2.3 here.

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_Data via nflverse._