ATLANTA (AP) — Falcons coach Raheem Morris didn’t hesitate when he was asked when he saw something that confirmed his belief in Michael Penix Jr. after last week’s disastrous loss to Carolina.
“Monday, when he came to work,” Morris said. “I believed in him that day.”
Penix proved worthy of that belief in Atlanta’s 34-27 win over the short-handed Washington Commanders on Sunday. He threw for a career-high 313 yards, completing 20 of 26 passes with two touchdowns and one interception, and directed the Falcons to a season-high 435 yards of offense after they were shut out by the Panthers.
“What contributed to the response (was) the way the guys went about their business each and every day leading up to this game,” Penix said. “It showed true maturity and showed what this team is really about.”
Bijan Robinson complemented Penix with a career-high 181 yards from scrimmage. Robinson had 75 rushing yards on 17 carries, including a nifty 14-yard touchdown run where he broke multiple tackles. He also had four catches for 106 yards, the highlight being a 69-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter that set up Penix’s TD toss to Kyle Pitts.
“We know we’re a very good offense, but you have to do the little things right, as we did today,” Robinson said.
Drake London had his best game of the season with eight catches for 110 yards and a touchdown less than a week after the Falcons fired wide receivers coach Ike Hilliard.
Marcus Mariota, filling in for injured Commanders starter Jayden Daniels, was 16 for 27 for 156 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. With top receiver Terry McLaurin also sidelined, Deebo Samuel had six receptions for 72 yards and a TD for Washington. Luke McCaffrey also had a scoring catch and Chris Rodriguez Jr. led the Commanders in rushing with 59 yards on seven carries.
“I know our team is going to battle back,” said Commanders coach Dan Quinn, who coached the Falcons from 2015-2020. “As a whole, I thought we ran the ball effectively. We missed a few opportunities and you just can’t beat yourself on some things.”
Tyler Allgeier gave the Falcons a 31-16 lead with a 15-yard run late in the third quarter. Mariota answered with a pretty 24-yard touchdown pass to Samuel on fourth down, plus a 2-point pass to Zach Ertz to cut the lead to 31-24.
The Falcons responded with a 14-play, 69-yard drive that featured three key third-down conversions by Penix and ended with Parker Romo’s 26-yard field goal with 1:57 left. Matt Gay kicked a 42-yard field goal with 1:33 remaining for the Commanders, but the Falcons recovered the ensuing onside kick.
Clinching the win
The Falcons took over at their 23 with 8:48 to play and a 31-24 lead. Their ensuing 14-play drive ate up 6:51 of the clock and resulted in a short field goal that gave them a two-possession advantage with 1:57 remaining.
“It felt great, just looking beside each other, knowing that it’s our game,” said Pitts, who had five catches for 70 yards. “It’s our game to win. (We had to) just hone in on the details and focus up, hold the ball and get the win.”
Penix converted three third downs on the drive. At the outset, he converted a third-and-5 with a scramble that just reached the sticks. On third-and-6, he hit Pitts for 22 yards and then on third-and-7, he laid one in to London for 9 yards.
“Third down was a huge factor in this game,” Quinn said. “We knew that was going to be a big part of it.”
Injuries
Commanders: Daniels, the last season’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, missed a second straight week with a knee sprain. … McLaurin was out with a quad injury.
Falcons: WR Darnell Mooney left with a hamstring injury in the third quarter. He finished with one catch. … CB Natron Brooks suffered a concussion returning a kickoff in the second quarter. He walked off the field to the locker room but did not return.
Up next
The Commanders visit the Los Angeles Chargers next Sunday. The Falcons have a bye before hosting Buffalo on Monday, Oct. 13.
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