Weekend Reflections: Penix is Falcons quarterback to get excited about

What I think about some things I saw over the weekend …

Matt Ryan is the best player in Falcons franchise history. His successors ranged from OK (Marcus Mariota) to substandard (Desmond Ridder) until Kirk Cousins came along — and ... well, you know what happened with him.

Now, the Falcons finally have a quarterback to get excited about again.

Michael Penix Jr. showed flashes of what he can be during his three-game starting stint as a rookie. After a full offseason of preparing to be The Man, Penix showed off the full spectrum of his game against the Buccaneers on Sunday at the Benz Dome.

Penix passed for 298 yards on 42 attempts with one touchdown and no interceptions. He kept the offense moving despite the lack of a running game (48 yards on 22 carries by the backs). Penix made two sensational runs to give the Falcons a late lead, first stretching to convert a fourth-and-3 and then diving to score a touchdown.

Penix’s effort wasn’t enough for the Falcons to win. It was enough to give them hope that they have the quarterback who can make them winners. Running quarterbacks who can throw are a valuable commodity in the NFL.

The Falcons have one now.

Penix was great as a passer Sunday. He zipped throws outside the hash marks even when he couldn’t step into them. When the Bucs sent extra pass rushers, Penix kept his poise in the pocket and got the ball out quickly.

Penix made good decisions when the initial play wasn’t there. His 50-yard TD pass to Bijan Robinson on the game’s third play was a check-down throw for a favorable matchup (pity linebacker SirVocea Dennis for getting the assignment to cover Robinson in space).

With the game on the line, Penix didn’t flinch. The Falcons couldn’t stop the Bucs from scoring after his touchdown run, so Penix got them in position to score again while trailing by three points with 52 seconds to go.

Penix’s passing prowess is no surprise. He made a lot of the same throws as a collegiate star at Washington. He’s now had enough time to acclimate to his Falcons teammates and the speed of the NFL.

His runs were unexpected. He didn’t do that much during college, but he looked spry when taking off against the Bucs.

The Falcons finally have a QB to get excited about.

Georgia’s offense has a short-yardage problem

The Georgia Bulldogs needed to move the ball less than a yard to score a touchdown Saturday against Austin Peay, but the Governors stopped tailback Chauncey Bowens for no gain on first-and-goal. That surely was an affront to coach Kirby Smart’s “man-ball” sensibilities.

Smart screamed at UGA’s players as they came to the sideline during a timeout following the play. Smart pointed at his heart. He held his fingers a few inches apart to represent the small distance they had just failed to gain.

Then Smart sent the offense back on the field, and coordinator Mike Bobo called … a pass play? That was weird. Gunner Stockton’s pass was incomplete.

Bobo had Stockton hand off the ball to Bowens on third down. Defensive lineman Charles Crew II ran free into the backfield to drop him for a 1-yard loss to end the first half.

“Over and over and over, we didn’t cash it in,” Smart said. “That was frustrating and left a bad taste in our mouth before the break, but we needed some adversity, and that gave us some.”

That’s one way to spin it. Another way to look at it: Georgia shouldn’t be facing that kind of adversity against Austin Peay of the Football Championship Subdivision, or Marshall of the Sun Belt.

The biggest difference between programs like those and Georgia is size, talent and depth on the lines. It didn’t look that way on too many plays during the first two games.

Georgia’s first-team offense has run 17 plays in short-yardage situations (I’m defining it as 3 yards or less needed to convert third downs, fourth downs or touchdowns). The Bulldogs converted only 10 of those chances, with failures on five of 14 runs.

Man-ball isn’t working for the Bulldogs, even against purportedly overmatched opponents. Maybe that’s why Bobo chose to pass twice near the end zone against Austin Peay.

If the Bulldogs had this much trouble in short yardage against lesser foes, then how are they going to do when they face SEC teams? We’ll find out starting Saturday in Knoxville.

Haynes King might be too tough for his own good

I love Haynes King’s tough and physical playing style. But I was concerned while watching Georgia Tech’s quarterback take (and deliver) hit after hit at Colorado in Week 1. I started to wonder just how long he could keep it up before the pounding took its toll.

The answer: one game.

King didn’t play Saturday against Gardner-Webb because of what coach Brent Key called a “nagging lower-body injury.” King’s injuries nagged him for the latter part of last season, too. His willingness to sacrifice his body for tough yards is admirable, but King needs to stay healthy to take the Yellow Jackets where they want to go.

Key said King was a game-time decision against Gardner-Webb. That presumably means he’ll be ready to play in the ACC opener against No. 12 Clemson on Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Clemson’s offense is a slog, but its defense is fast and physical as always.

There was one silver lining from King not playing Saturday. Play-caller Buster Faulkner showed that the Yellow Jackets can build a much different game plan around backup QB Aaron Philo and still be effective.

Faulkner had Philo making throws on the move to Tech’s many good receiving options, and he was on the money (373 yards on 28 attempts with one touchdown and one interception). The passing windows won’t be so wide against better competition, but it’s good that Tech can put up points in a different way when King is out (and once he’s gone after this season).

The Jackets are better with King at quarterback. Key and his assistants have got to help King strike a balance between punishing runs and self-preservation.

Braves right-hander Hurston Waldrep makes bid for 2026 rotation

Once it became clear the Braves aren’t going to the playoffs, this season became about setting up for next season. The starting rotation likely will have openings, with four pitchers currently recovering from long-term injuries. The Braves can’t quite pencil in Hurston Waldrep for one of those slots yet, but he’s making a strong case.

Waldrep held the Mariners to two runs over five innings Saturday. That was the worst result of his seven starts this year. In the other six, Waldrep didn’t allow more than a run while pitching at least 5⅓ innings. He’s compiled a 1.33 ERA with 38 strikeouts, 16 walks and two home runs allowed over 40⅔ innings.

Waldrep made his MLB debut last season. He wasn’t ready: 13 runs allowed in seven innings with eight walks. Waldrep went back to the minors to work on his craft. He apparently figured some things out, though there’s still room for improvement.

Waldrep is in line for at least three more starts this year. That’s time to refine his pitching. If he stays healthy — the Braves should knock on wood — then he’ll surely get an invite to big-league spring training. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he’s still part of the rotation to begin 2026.

My Weekend Predictions were 6-4

Buffalo’s comeback victory over Baltimore on Sunday night clinched another winning week for my picks against the spread. Now I can rest easy watching Vikings-Bears on Monday night, though hitting on Minnesota -1½ coming in would give me some needed cushion for the rest of the season.