Blown lead and Penix injury make miserable night for Falcons

The Falcons blew this game.

They missed several chances to put the Ravens away before squandering an eight-point lead in the last minute of regulation. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. got hurt while trying to rally them. Tua Tagovailoa threw an interception that ended their last chance in overtime.

The Ravens beat the Falcons 30-23. They did it with two-time MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson in street clothes. The Ravens won despite giving up a defensive touchdown.

Penix rejuvenated the Falcons when he returned from knee surgery, and they won road games against the Packers and Saints. Then they came back to Mercedes-Benz Stadium and lost a game they had in the bag as Penix sat on the bench with a towel over his head.

What a deflating loss.

“We are going to be good,” Penix said. “It’s one game. Obviously, it’s a game that we feel like we could have won, we should have won.

“But whenever you’ve got a chance to close out the game, especially against a good team like that, you’ve got to do it. We didn’t do that today, but we are in a good spot.”

We’ll find out if that’s true when the Falcons (2-3) play the Bears (3-2) here next Sunday. Considering the performances of their backup quarterbacks, it’s hard to see the Falcons having much chance to win that game if Penix can’t play.

Penix suffered an injury to his right ribs when he got hit with less than 30 seconds left in regulation. He left the game but returned after one play. Penix was looking at a tablet with quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt as the game went to overtime.

Penix said he planned to return to the game until the pain increased during Baltimore’s 14-play touchdown drive that lasted 7:03 of game time.

“It’s emotional because it’s tough,” Penix said. “I always want to be out there. I want to be able to finish every game, and obviously, I’ve got a history of not doing that.

“But I’m going to continue to trust in God. What I have right now, I know it’s not going to be a long-term thing.”

Penix said that without having any test results to confirm the severity of the injury. It would be a shame if he’s forced to miss time. Penix looked to be moving with more confidence inside and out of the pocket during his third start of the season.

Penix’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Pitts Sr. gave the Falcons a 14-6 lead in the second quarter. Penix passed for 157 yards on 23 attempts after halftime. He had a stretch where he was 5-for-6 on third-down passes for 74 yards and five first downs.

But there was one missed chance that ended up being critical for the Falcons.

They gained a first-and-goal on the first drive after halftime. Left tackle Jake Matthews lined up as an eligible receiver on second down and ran free to the end zone. But Penix’s pass was a bit high and Matthews mistimed his jump.

The Falcons kicked a field goal for a 17-9 lead. That was the beginning of a cascade of missed opportunities at winning time.

“There’s plays that we can make; there are calls we can give our guys to be better,” Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said. “But in a game like that, there’s all these little plays that all add to being a big play.”

If the Falcons scored a touchdown late in regulation, the game would essentially be over. Penix had Bijan Robinson open in the flat on third down but had to get rid of the ball quickly. The Falcons kicked another field goal to lead 23-15 with 2:35 to play.

The Falcons could still win if they stopped the Ravens from scoring eight points. Baltimore went 68 yards for a touchdown with 40 seconds left and converted the two-point try to tie.

Baltimore won the coin toss and elected to get the ball first. Keep the Ravens out of the end zone, and the Falcons could score a touchdown to win. But Baltimore marched 68 yards for another touchdown.

The Falcons started their next drive with 2:57 left in OT and Tagovailoa at quarterback. He passed to Drake London for 20 yards on the first play. Tagovailoa tried to go back to London on the next play, but safety Kyle Hamilton jumped the route and intercepted the pass.

The Falcons lost a game they had a high probability of winning.

“It’s just one game,” Pitts said. “It doesn’t define us. We’ll get back to the drawing board.”

Once they do, the Falcons might want to consider changing their offensive plan.

They spent too much time trying to trick the Ravens. That worked against the Saints a week ago, but the Ravens weren’t fooled by the fakes and feints. They paid no mind to the misdirection plays.

The Falcons eventually stopped trying to dupe the Ravens and made plays straight up. Penix started looking for London (seven catches for 118 yards). The two linked up to convert four first downs in the second half.

It wasn’t enough to beat the Ravens. The Falcons had a relatively easy time scoring against the Packers and Saints, but those are bottom-tier defensive teams. The Falcons scored just 16 points against Baltimore’s midpack defense.

The Falcons were supposed to have an easier time on the other side of the ball because Jackson (ankle) didn’t play. Backup Tyler Huntley ended up leading the Ravens to victory.