The Atlanta Falcons are the exact same team they were three weeks ago. They were stuck in quarterback purgatory while waiting for Michael Penix Jr. to fully recover from the torn ACL he suffered last season. Kevin Stefanski had to trot out Cooper Rush and Jack Strand — splitting the Falcons fan base in the middle of a season that looked entirely lost. Then came Penix.
In just two games, Penix has elevated this offense to levels few thought possible. It isn't magic, either; his return simply validates why Stefanski took the job in the first place. But Atlanta faces a real test ahead: Is Penix actually this good, or have the Falcons just been beating up on bad defenses? Green Bay put up a respectable fight, but New Orleans certainly didn't.
That's why this upcoming game against the Baltimore Ravens is critical. Atlanta needs to prove it's a real threat in the NFC, and Penix needs to show he's the long-term solution the franchise has been searching for ever since Matt Ryan transitioned from the field to the front office.
How Michael Penix Jr. saved Atlanta’s season
Penix didn't need to do anything miraculous to spark the offense over the last two weeks — he just needed to do what Rush couldn't. Rush posed zero threat pushing the ball downfield. Penix can stretch the defense, dialing in the deep ball. He and Drake London tore through Green Bay's secondary in Week 3, and followed it up in Week 4 with a 37-yard connection. It was one of two 30-plus yard completions Penix delivered in that blowout win over the New Orleans Saints, highlighting exactly what this offense can accomplish with even baseline competence under center.
Bijan Robinson is equally dynamic out of the backfield, coming off a monster 145-yard, two-touchdown performance on Monday Night Football. When Robinson runs like that, defenses can't cheat to take away both the ground attack and the passing game — which is precisely how Penix makes opponents pay.
Stefanski's offense operates primarily under center, making play-action the centerpiece of the scheme. He also loves using tight ends, even if Kyle Pitts hasn't fully carved out his role quite yet. Regardless, this setup is tailor-made for Penix to punish defenses that stack the box against Robinson. Having a quarterback who can produce through the air while leaning into a strong ground game is why Atlanta looks transformed.
Why the Baltimore Ravens game will determine just how good Michael Penix Jr. is
Baltimore spent six years studying Stefanski's offensive scheme, so Penix and the Falcons won't find things as easy as they have recently. Under first-year head coach Jesse Minter, the Ravens boast a top-20 pass defense and a top-10 rush defense. Atlanta hasn't matched up against a unit this complete yet, making this the ideal litmus test for a squad aiming to win the NFC South.
The Ravens enter Week 5 generating one of the highest pressure rates in the league. Penix has shown he can deal from a clean pocket, but how will he react when that pocket collapses? Baltimore doesn't blitz as aggressively as Carolina or Green Bay, but they generate heavy pressure — blitzing on 28.1 percent of dropbacks and creating pressure on 21.6 percent.
Penix handled Green Bay's pressure well, but the Packers lacked a dominant edge rusher like Trey Hendrickson. Penix has established that Atlanta needs him under center. Now he has to prove he can deliver against legitimate playoff contenders, not just lower-tier defenses.
Baltimore won't just test Penix's arm strength and decision-making. They will test whether Atlanta can impose its new identity on a team built to disrupt it.
Add us as a preferred source on Google