LANDOVER, Md. -- Here’s what Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had to say after the 30-24 overtime loss to the Commanders on Sunday:
On the overtime loss: “I mean, it’s always tough losing, you know, but we’re playing in the National Football League, man. We playing against the best of the best each and every week, we got to come with our A game. You know, it’s things that, you know, we wish we could’ve had back and it’s things that we did good. But at the end of the day, you know, we’ll go back to the drawing board, you know, try to see what we can do better so that we can get this win next week. And, you know, yeah, it was tough.”
On getting away from the rushing attack in the second half: “Yeah, I mean, it was tough. You know, we didn’t really have the ball much in the third quarter. You know, I believe we ran three plays, you know, but we just gotta sustain drives. You know, we can’t go three and out. You know, our mindset each and every time we step on the field is to get points, and we didn’t get points. So, whenever we had the opportunity and you know, based on that, it could have made us go one way or the other based on passing or running the ball. But at the end of the day, we gotta execute plays and find ways to win.”
On not using timeouts on potential game winning drive: “Yeah, I mean, that’s on Coach Raheem (Morris). You know, he calls the timeouts whenever he feels fit. And, you know, he trusted in us to get the plays off and you know, make the next play. So, you know, we all trust Coach’s judgment on that. So that’s what we’re going to lean on.”
On what he saw on the game-tying touchdown pass to Kyle Pitts: “I mean, we saw two high safeties, you know, just executing a play. You know, Kyle saw it as well, and we were just on the same page. And that’s what happens when we’re on the same page and everybody’s executing at a high level, we make big time plays. You know, we got the players to do it. We just got to be consistent with it and, you know, like I said, you know, just find ways to win.”
On the 56-yard field goal attempt to win the game: “Yeah, I mean, man, it’s football, man. You’re going to have good plays, you’re going to have bad plays. You know, we didn’t get in a good enough position, you know, but we have faith in Riley (Patterson), and you know, he didn’t make it, you know, but at the end of the day, we still got to play football, you know, still football left, still time on the clock in overtime, and we got to make plays. And, you know, obviously, it’s a lot of stuff that leads up to that point, you know, to get us in a better situation that, you know, we wish we could do. But at the end of the day, we got to look back on the film, you know, look back on it and see what we could’ve did better. So that whenever that opportunity presents itself again, if it does, we’ll be ready for it.”
On how he assessed himself overall tonight: “Man, you know, I feel like I got to be better with the ball. I got to be better with the ball. I dropped the ball twice today. That’s unlike me. I never really did that much in my career, you know, so just protecting the ball because if we don’t fall on it, those are big game changing plays, you know, and the game could’ve been very lopsided, you know, so I got to protect the ball in that way, you know, obviously, you know, first pick coming out, we gotta come out strong. I feel like we gotta start fast, and that wasn’t starting fast, you know, either way it goes, we gotta come out there and get points on the board but at the end of the day, it’s a lot of things to assess, but I’m gonna go back to it. Gotta get back to the drawing board and see what it is.”
On if he felt he missed a few throws today that he should have completed: “Yeah, I mean, for sure, for sure. I did miss a couple that I normally make. You know, that’s going to come with chemistry. I talked to Drake (London) after the game and I’m like, ‘Man, I’ve got to be able to give you all these opportunities.’ And he’s like, ‘Bro, we’ve been playing for six quarters.’ You know, at that point it was halftime. He’s like, ‘We’ve only played for six quarters together, bro. It’s going to come.’ You know, we’re going to continue to grow with that connection and you know, we will. So, you know, it’s tough. Some of the things, you know, I wish I had back, but at the end of the day, we’ve got to continue to progress and I gotta flush it and be ready for the next play.”
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