MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Here’s what Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had to say postgame after making his NFL debut in the 20-13 loss to the Dolphins on Friday night at Hard Rock Stadium.
Q. How do you feel things went for you today in your first NFL action?
A: “I felt good. It felt good. It was fun to (get) out there and compete with my brothers. Man, just having fun out there. Just going out there playing the game I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old. You know, so no nerves, no jitters. I was just ready to go.”
Q. I know you said you weren’t nervous, but was it like: I’m here after taking the first hit?
A: “I got to feel the protection on that, so that’s on me. I was saying that before the game, I just want to get hit one time. Quarterbacks won’t get hit (until) game time, so to be able to get hit, get back up, just continue to keep playing on the next drive, I knew that’s what would happen. But sometimes you go a whole year without getting – for me, it’s only been a couple months, but it’s been a while. It was good to be back out there.”
Q. How would you evaluate your performance?
A: “I feel like I did OK. (There are) some things that (I) definitely want (to) get better (at). I feel like I executed the offense the best that I could. … I had one mistake. … The naked eye or the fans, they wouldn’t notice it, but in our offense, I know it. Other than that, just trying to get points on the board. Whenever I was out there, I was able to get some points. We want to score every drive. We ended up with a field goal (and a touchdown). ... There’s always room for improvement.”
Q. What’s that one mistake that’s sticking with you?
A: “I looked the wrong way on a play, but I found the checkdown.”
Q. Was there a moment for you whether (Friday) morning or arriving here where you kind of realized, “Wow, I’m here”?
A: “Nah, I was ready. I’ve been ready to play for the longest. I don’t know. It’s just football to me. I’ve been playing it since I was 5. So, just go out there and do what you do.”
Q. Did you notice that the speed of the game was different from practice?
A: “I always say the game is easier than practice. Game is always easier than practice. I don’t know why. I think it’s because of our defense see our looks so many times, it’s hard to get completions against them. But in-game, I feel like the routes (are) wide open, and it’s slower than practice.”
Q. Does exhibition season mean more to you because you don’t know necessarily how much you’ll be playing in the regular season?
A: “Every game means a lot. We didn’t come out with a win today. That’s something that we wanted. We’re not proud of it. Obviously, there’s a lot of things that we’ve got on film, put on tape that are good and that we can take from (this game). But (there were) a lot of things we can learn from, too. We’re a team – it (doesn’t’) matter (exhibition games), playoffs or regular season, we want to win. We didn’t get that done, but man I (saw) a lot of great things out of the guys around me. I feel like I did a lot of great things. But like I said, still some stuff to clean up.”
Q. What did you see on the throw to WR Chris Blair, the 41-yarder?
A: “Yeah, I told him ‘CB’ (Chris Blair) I’ll give him a chance on the vertical route. He (beat his man) off the release – if he’s that open, I’ve got to be able to deliver a good ball so he can continue running. We connected like that.”
Q. Seven of your 16 passes went to wide receiver Casey Washington.
A: “For real?”
Q. Yeah, seven of 16. Can you speak to your relationship with him and how it’s progressed through training camp?
A: “Man, he’s a worker. He’s a guy that wants to work each and every day he comes in. … We built that trust (over) the offseason, just continue to get work even on the off-days. He works extremely hard. Man, you should have seen his smile when he first touched the field. He was in his happy place. I (haven’t) seen (a) smile that big. He was excited to be out there. Man, he made plays whenever the ball come his way. For me, I’ve got to find a way to get it to him.”
Q. You got your first NFL game done, completed. Is there one takeaway, standout lesson that you learned from that stood out?
A: “I don’t know, it’s just football. Like I said, it’s just football. You know, going into it, you don’t know what to expect, like, OK, first game. But you know me, I’m just like it’s football at the end of the day. Whenever I came out of it, I’m like, it’s still just football. I haven’t been live in a while, but took some hits. Probably only got hit twice. (The) offensive line did a good job holding up. Just football, man, just go play.”
The Bow Tie Chronicles
About the Author
