Michael Penix Jr. had the Atlanta Falcons looking dangerous again, but by overtime Sunday night, he was watching Tua Tagovailoa try to finish a game that had slipped away.
Justin Simmons had a simple message after seeing Atlanta lose its quarterback: Get down; the extra yards can wait.
Justin Simmons Questions Michael Penix Jr.’s Risk-Taking
Penix suffered a rib injury on a sack by Baltimore Ravens linebacker Tavius Robinson late in the fourth quarter. Tagovailoa replaced him, tried to lead a drive, and Kyle Hamilton’s overtime interception sealed Baltimore’s 30–23 victory.
During CBS’ postgame discussion, Simmons said he had been concerned about the contact Penix was absorbing well before that final hit.
“We were saying it all game when we were watching. We were like, why is he taking unnecessary risk?”Simmons said.
He pointed to awkward falls and instances when Penix was getting hit on his way to the ground. For Simmons, the quarterback’s importance to Atlanta made those moments especially frustrating.
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“Mike, get down. You mean so much to the organization and this team,” Simmons continued. “All the fans out there, especially Atlanta Falcons fans, they want to see you be healthy. Please get down.”
Simmons suggested the earlier contact could have contributed to the injury, framing that as his opinion. The reported injury occurred on Robinson’s late sack.
Penix had helped restore some confidence in Atlanta, including during the Falcons’win over the New Orleans Saints. That progress made another interrupted appearance particularly painful.
Atlanta was finally getting something going with its quarterback, and suddenly the backup had to take over.
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Ben DiNucci Discusses the Situation Tua Tagovailoa Inherited
Ben DiNucci focused on how dramatically the offense changed with Penix playing and how difficult the sudden switch was for Tagovailoa.
“The last two weeks this Atlanta Falcons team and offense have looked totally different,”DiNucci said.
DiNucci said he would have liked to see Penix return for Atlanta’s overtime possession and finish the game. He also acknowledged the limits of judging that decision from the studio.
“Certainly I’m not going to sit here and say that he’s not injured. We don’t know the severity of it,” DiNucci said.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Penix would undergo further imaging to determine the extent of his rib injury, but Penix himself said he’s likely to suit up next week, given how much time he has already missed.
DiNucci, meanwhile, had sympathy for the quarterback who suddenly inherited the assignment. “I think that was a lot to ask of Tua as well when you’re sitting on the sideline for four hours, five hours, and all of a sudden your number’s called,” DiNucci said.
Tagovailoa completed two passes for 34 yards before throwing the interception. Penix, meanwhile, finished his interrupted night with 240 passing yards and a touchdown, but Atlanta left with a 2–3 record.
With their Week 5 schedule wrapped up, Penix’s 82.0 PFN QB Impact Grade ranks 6th among 34 qualifying quarterbacks.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.