The Michael Penix Jr. whom fans saw last Sunday in his first NFL regular-season start was not the one who arrived here last April as the No. 8 pick in the draft. What Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney saw from Penix after the draft was a quarterback too eager to let go of the ball,

Penix finished 18-for-27 for 202 yards, no touchdowns and a deflected interception. Two pick sixes by the defense helped a lot.

The Atlanta Falcons reclaimed the NFC South lead this weekend, defeating the New York Giants by a score of 34-7. Michael Penix Jr. impressed in his first real NFL action, becoming just the third Falcons rookie quarterback ever to win his first start.