Falcons’ Michael Penix Jr. struggles through tough Tampa homecoming

TAMPA, Fla. — However Michael Penix Jr. dreamed his first start in the building less than an hour from home would go, it’s fair to speculate none of the scenes from Sunday afternoon in Raymond James Stadium fit the bill.

The Falcons’ starting quarterback twirled a black string around his finger, then violently whipped it down after his first interception. He craned his neck around and yelled in frustration after his fourth and final, paying no mind to those trying to console him. Earlier, after another drive ended without movement, he pulled his helmet off his head and swung it down in frustration.

With roughly 30 family members and friends in attendance from nearby Dade City, Florida, Penix completed only 8-of-24 passes for 125 yards and threw four interceptions while the Falcons (3-5) suffered a 16-0 loss to the Buccaneers (3-5) on a rainy, windy, all-around miserable day.

“It’s tough,” Penix said. “I had a lot of family in the stands, so for them to see that performance — a performance I have never had in my life — it kind of sucked. But we’re going to shake back.”

Part of Penix’s woes stem from weather. There was heavy rain in the first half and a steadier drizzle for much of the second. The ball was wet, which made passes come out of Penix’s left hand differently, without much velocity or accuracy. Safety Jessie Bates III said the first half, with all its wind and rain, was the “craziest” playing experience he’s ever had.

But Penix took the blame for his turnovers. Both teams played in the conditions, he said. And his decision making faltered at times, too.

“Knowing the conditions are like that, as a quarterback [and] a leader, I’ve got to protect the ball,” Penix said. “That’s the only way we’re going to be able to win these games, and I did a poor job of that today.”

Penix entered Sunday with his confidence and performance at perhaps the highest peak of his NFL career. He won NFC Offensive Player of the Week on Wednesday. Two days prior, Bates said he “really, truly” believes Penix is a franchise quarterback.

The 26-year-old Penix went four games — and, ultimately, 144 pass attempts — without an interception. He had only thrown one interception in his previous 10 games, and it came on his first drive this season after a 10-month recovery process from a torn ACL suffered last season.

There were no warning signs for Sunday. How could there be? He’s never thrown four interceptions in a game at any level. His previous career-high in the NFL was two. He threw three in the first half alone.

Not lost in the disarray of Sunday: the Falcons’ confidence in Penix. Stefanski said he has no concerns moving forward.

“I think obviously we can do a better job,” Stefanski said. “Mike can do a better job. I can do a better job.”

The Falcons’ run game didn’t do Penix many favors. Self-proclaimed as the team’s identity, Atlanta rushed 28 times for 99 yards, an average of 3.5 yards per attempt. The Buccaneers, conversely, rushed for 324 yards on 56 carries, good for 5.8 yards per rush.

Tampa Bay won the line of scrimmage decisively on both sides of the ball.

“When you run the ball successfully, it takes some pain on the defense, it helps your whole team,” Falcons running back Bijan Robinson said. “So, for us, it’s our job to figure out how we can get back on track with it and make sure we’re doing all the right things to help this team win in the run game.”

The Buccaneers set a franchise record in rushing yards, and they had so much success on the ground, they didn’t need to throw the ball. So, they chose not to. Quarterback Baker Mayfield attempted two passes in the first half and one in the second. He didn’t complete any of them.

For the first time since 1974 and the fourth time in NFL history, a team won without completing a pass. Moral of the story? The Falcons’ issues Sunday went far beyond Penix.

But there’s little denying the destruction of four interceptions, even if only one directly netted points — the Buccaneers scored just six points off Penix’s giveaways and needed a 60-yard drive to capitalize on his third.

Since 2013, only three teams have won regular season games while their starting quarterback threw four-plus interceptions. Penix inherited the blame for the Falcons falling short Sunday.

“They were the better team today and they had the least amount of turnovers,” Penix said. “Whenever the conditions are like this, you can’t turn the ball over. You’ve got to do your best to make sure you protect the ball. Our defense played great, so we just kind of put them in a lot of bad spots.”

Teammates and coaches often tout Penix for his poise and even-keeled nature. His brief outbursts after interceptions and misfires Sunday afternoon underscored his personal frustration, but tight end Kyle Pitts said he never felt like it weighed on his quarterback.

“No, not at all,” Pitts said. “This was a tough game. Move past it, get on the plane and get ready for next week.”