Raheem Morris addresses Penix, third downs, clock management, staff performance

Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr.’s play can be better. But, as his coach sees it, his lagging performance is also a reflection on the play around him.

Coach Raheem Morris gave Penix his support on a Monday videoconference with media following the team’s return from an overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin on Sunday. It was the team’s fourth consecutive loss, dropping the record to 3-6.

“Mike is going to be so hard and critical on himself, that it’s always going to be his fault no matter what,” Morris said. “But we’ve got some things that we can clean up as well around him, whether that be drops, whether that be being in the right spot, whether that be just getting stuff that you’ve got to get across the board from Mike.”

Against the Colts, Penix was 12-for-28 for 177 yards with one touchdown pass and no interceptions. He was sacked three times. It lowered his completion percentage for the season to 58.8%. Among quarterbacks with at least 150 pass attempts this season, he ranks 30th of 32 in completion percentage, according to Stathead.

On several incompletions, it appeared his accuracy could have been better.

“I feel great with Mike’s command (of the offense in pressure situations),” Morris said. “We’ve got to get everybody on the same page. Everybody has to be the same way.”

Tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. could have helped more, for instance. He dropped an on-target first-quarter pass that was about 18 yards downfield and could have gone for much more. In the third quarter, Penix threw a pass to Pitts in the end zone from the Colts 25-yard line that he could have thrown better, but Pitts also could have done a better job of adjusting to and fighting for. The pass glanced off a Colts defensive back and fell incomplete.

“I hate to say (it was a matter of) effort; I love to say those are plays you’ve got to make for your quarterback every once in a while if you’re Kyle, because he’s capable of making it,” Morris said.

Morris acknowledged that Penix’s connection with wide receiver Darnell Mooney is not great. Penix targeted Mooney eight times on Sunday but completed only one of them. Morris said that only practice time together can solve the problem.

“That’s all the growing pains that we’re going through right now,” Morris said.

Morris did say that Penix can use his athleticism more to get out of the pocket to make plays with his legs.

“He loves being in the pocket, he loves going through the whole dynamic of his progressions,” Morris said. “I just think sometimes that he can use his athleticism at times, that he can really exploit people.”

Other comments from Morris:

There are no changes forthcoming with the coaching staff.

“We’ve got a really good group here,” Morris said. “We’ve got a really good group of guys. We’ve been in two tough games in back-to-back weeks vs. two really good football teams that were highly competitive.”

Linebacker DeAngelo Malone will miss significant time because of an ankle injury suffered in the Colts game. Morris said he did not know more because he had yet to meet with the medical staff.

Morris said that he didn’t call a timeout to stop the clock late in the first half when linebacker Kaden Elliss sacked quarterback Daniel Jones to put the Colts in third-and-11 at their 39-yard line because he was concerned about Indianapolis’ potential to score.

“They were too close,” said Morris of the Colts’ being at their 39.

The sack occurred with about 57 seconds left in the half. The Falcons had two timeouts left.

The Colts did not view their scoring opportunity in the same way Morris did. They were content to let the clock run, snapping the ball with 20 seconds left, after which Jones threw an interception. The Falcons got the ball back with eight seconds left and took a knee to end the half.

It was the latest in a series of curious clock-management decisions that Morris has made this season.

The Falcons were 0-for-8 on third downs. All of the third downs were third-and-5 or longer. On the eight third-down plays, Penix was sacked three times and was 1-for-5 for minus-4 yards.