- 11 minutes ago
Zinno breaks down the performance of Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons 35-14 win over the Packers. He dives deep into the numbers on Penix and where Falcons fans should be excited.
Zinno also talks expectations for the future for the Falcons, reminding everybody. It’s just a one-game sample size.
Finally, Zinno addresses all those who doubted Penix and why he wasn’t on the field.
Zinno also talks expectations for the future for the Falcons, reminding everybody. It’s just a one-game sample size.
Finally, Zinno addresses all those who doubted Penix and why he wasn’t on the field.
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SportsTranscript
00:01Good morning. Welcome to A to Z here on Sports Radio 9829 The Game, where today I tell you it
00:06was a very important first step, but there's still more to do. Welcome in. Once again, we are here on
00:12a Friday this week as we are postgame of the Atlanta Falcons week three victory over the Green Bay Packers.
00:18We're going to dive into that coming up just a moment. First, please make sure you subscribe. Hit that subscribe
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00:35you're alerted every single time A to Z comes up for you guys. We have a great show planned for
00:39you. Obviously, we're going to break down the game from last night. We're going to talk a little bit of
00:43expectations and some evaluations going forward. And of course, we'll hand out trouble to wisdom. And we've got a special
00:49message at the very end to get to. So make sure you guys keep it locked right here. We have
00:54a bunch to get into and why Michael Penix's return to the Falcons was so critical coming up in
00:59in less than 60 seconds.
01:01My calculations are correct. When this baby hits 88 miles per hour, you're going to see some serious...
01:10It's time for A to Z with Mark Zeno.
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01:42A to Z starts now.
01:50All right, so let's dissect the Falcons' 35-14 win over the Green Bay Packers last night.
01:57And manifestly, you know, look, I'll keep the focus on the game itself because this was a much-awaited moment
02:04here for Michael Penix to get back in the lineup.
02:06We don't have to rehash everything that's gone on in the past couple of weeks about him finally getting to
02:11the point because what matters is that he's here.
02:13What matters is that he's going to continue to be here.
02:16And what matters is that the Falcons won the game and put themselves back to 1-2.
02:20But, look, here's one thing I will say about the past.
02:23For all the consternation that we had, let me rephrase that, for all the consternation that many others had about
02:30why Michael Penix was taking so long to get back into the lineup and what he was doing and what
02:36he needed and everything else, I think you kind of saw that a little bit last night.
02:42In the macro picture, it was a wonderful performance all around by Penix, by Bijan, by Drake, by the entire
02:47offensive defense was fantastic as well.
02:49We don't talk enough about them.
02:50We'll do that here a little bit coming up.
02:52But it was a fantastic performance overall.
02:54But when you dissect what Michael Penix was about, I think you have to realize that, you know, people who
03:02made so much, why is Mike getting first-team reps when Cooper Rush needs him to start?
03:06Why is Mike getting the first-team reps?
03:08What you saw last night is why Mike was getting first-team reps.
03:12It was part of his preparation process.
03:15It was part of his ability to clear himself, to be mentally and physically ready to play because he needed
03:23the time.
03:23He needed the work.
03:24He needed the self-evaluation to understand where he was.
03:27And I'll tell you what, when he got in that game, guys, if you were being objective, he looked rusty
03:31early.
03:32He didn't look good.
03:34There was a lot of timing issues that were off.
03:37The interception that he threw, now I contend it looked like Johan Dotson stopped a little bit.
03:41I mean, he tried to squeeze the ball in a tight coverage, no doubt about it.
03:44I'd have to ask some people exactly what the route was and what went on and where the blame really
03:49lies.
03:49Of course, we always lie to the blame with an interception on the quarterback.
03:52But reality is it looked like Dotson stopped running and didn't continue to come across, and the defender was able
03:57to cut in front of him and pick the ball off.
04:00But, again, all those things, he looked rusty.
04:03He looked jittery.
04:04The timing looked off.
04:05And I even tweeted, maybe he needed more reps with the first team.
04:09Maybe he needed even more time.
04:12To be with the first team.
04:14And then, after starting out two for seven with an interception, something that changed the course of the game happened.
04:23It was the late hit on the next play where they hit to the head, which was, by the way,
04:28I am not ever a homer about these things.
04:31And I usually side with the officials on these things regardless of whatever team it is.
04:36That was the right call.
04:37You can't make contact with the head and neck area.
04:39Period.
04:39If a quarterback, you can't.
04:40You're not allowed to.
04:41It's been in the rules for years now.
04:43It's not new.
04:44Players know it.
04:44The Packers coaches knew it.
04:46If you saw the cutaway to the sideline, his coach was explaining to him, you've got to hit him here.
04:50You can't go up here.
04:51You've got to hit him here.
04:52Everybody knew it was a penalty.
04:53Packers fans didn't like it.
04:54But, in reality, it was 100% the right call.
04:56Got the Falcons in position.
04:58They score a game-tying touchdown.
04:59You take it.
05:01You take it.
05:01But after that two-for-seven start, you know what Michael Penix did the rest of the game, folks?
05:0716 of 18 with a passing touchdown.
05:1216 of 18.
05:13And balls came out quick.
05:15They came out with rhythm.
05:17They came out on time and on target where they need to be.
05:20And he looked like he was in mid-season form.
05:24So, yeah, maybe his first couple of minutes out there, his first couple of drives out there, were a little
05:28jittery.
05:29Maybe it was because people were questioning his character and his toughness for being out there.
05:35That those thoughts were in his head that, I've got to play the absolute very best.
05:38I've got to prove everybody wrong.
05:40That he was a little bit jittery to start.
05:42He finally settled in with the help of Bijan and the help of the running game.
05:47Finally started things, started going his way.
05:52And it looked like you started to see or scratched the surface a little bit of the very ceiling of
05:58what this offense could look like.
06:00Furthermore, something else that was addressed last night in one game, which was Michael Penix's under center.
06:08He ran, in that game last night, 35 snaps from under center.
06:14His previous high in any of his previous 12 starts?
06:19Nine.
06:21This is part of the reason why Kevin Stefanski was brought here.
06:25This is part of the reason why his offense works.
06:28Because play action is successful.
06:32It always has been.
06:33It always will be.
06:34Teams who run it and run it well usually have a good amount of success on offense.
06:40And this is what the Falcons are trending towards.
06:44Kevin Stefanski, again, a little bit of validation there.
06:47Right guy for the job.
06:48Right system.
06:50He's got the right personnel.
06:53Now, a little bit of validation.
06:54I'll stress a little bit here.
06:55But there was so much in that game to like about the way things were.
07:01And you found this, you know, this situation with Drake and Penix on the same page and it looks great.
07:11People will point out to, and I myself and one of them who will point out to it, not going
07:16to get mad about it, but I'll point it out.
07:19When Drake's on the field, Kyle Pitts becomes a secondary or tertiary option behind Bajon and Drake.
07:24That's okay.
07:26That's the reality of it.
07:27Look, you know, it's funny.
07:30I heard somebody, a national media member, who I think is actually very good, before the game last night, was
07:38talking about what a mess the Falcons were and everything else.
07:40And questioned their team building in drafting Bajon, Drake, and Kyle Pitts.
07:46And I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Ms. Lippy, the part of the story I didn't
07:51like, is where you seem to have a problem with drafting what is now the best or second best running
07:57back in the NFL and seem to have a problem with drafting a guy who's a top 10 wide receiver
08:01right now.
08:02I don't have any problems with either one of those.
08:04Now, do we have a problem with Kyle Pitts?
08:06Of course we all have a problem with Kyle Pitts because he was drafted at four overall, never should have
08:09happened.
08:10It was a bad decision by Arthur Smith.
08:11It was a bad decision by Terry Fontenau.
08:13It was a bad decision by the organization, period.
08:15So, because we're always measuring this guy up against the fourth overall pick.
08:18The reality is tight ends don't change offenses.
08:20Never have, never will.
08:22They're weapons.
08:23They're part of it.
08:23But nobody builds an offense around the tight end.
08:26Ever.
08:27They build offense around other players and the tight end becomes a complementary or a advantageous piece to have, but
08:33they're never built around them.
08:34So you don't draft them at a four overall because players you draft four overall, you build around.
08:39So, yes, it's okay that Kyle Pitts was used less when Drake is on the field because Drake is supposed
08:44to get the ball.
08:45Drake is more of a dynamic playmaker.
08:46Bijan's supposed to get the ball.
08:47He's more of a dynamic playmaker.
08:49I don't want to spend any more time on that than necessary because that's not the focus of what this
08:55is all about.
08:55But I did see some scuttlebutt on the Twitters about that whole thing about, oh, yeah, Kyle Pitts did one
09:01catch for five yards.
09:02You know how many people I know who were on Kyle Pitts over-receiving yards as a prop bet last
09:07night?
09:07Many of them, including me.
09:11So I'm not mad about it, though.
09:13Should have known.
09:14When Drake is there, he's going to be a primary target, as he should be.
09:17And I think that's really, really smart.
09:20Now, all the great things that I've said, one of the things that I tweeted before, way before the game
09:27kicked off last night, was that I will not overreact regardless of the outcome to what I'm seeing.
09:34And you shouldn't overreact either.
09:37This, what we saw last night does not mean Michael Penix is back.
09:41It does not mean Michael Penix is a franchise quarterback.
09:43It does not mean Michael Penix is the future.
09:45It does not mean the Falcons are primed for the playoffs.
09:48It means none of those things.
09:50It is a one-game sample size.
09:52Treat it as such.
09:53It's better to be good than bad, but it is a one-game sample size.
09:56Against a team on a short week who played an overtime game last week in which that spot, okay, more
10:03often produces losers than winners.
10:05When that happens, it's just the way the NFL goes.
10:08Not taking anything away from the Falcons.
10:10But let's see what happens next week against the Saints.
10:16Let's see what happens for the next two or three weeks as they go through the season.
10:20Remember, two things are happening at the same time.
10:23Number one, week-to-week league.
10:24Try to win as many games as you can.
10:25Try to make the postseason.
10:26Week-to-week league.
10:27Let's worry about this week, this week, next week, next week, so on and so forth.
10:30Week-to-week league.
10:31The other thing that's happening at the exact same time is the overarching arc of this season in which the
10:36main goal is to find out what Michael Penix is, if he's a franchise quarterback, if he should be extended
10:43to a long-term deal, and if this is the guy you're going to have your franchise centered on for
10:48the next five to seven years, if not long.
10:51That's the overarching goal.
10:52Week-to-week, we win as many games as we can.
10:54Try to make the postseason.
10:56But either way, the answers you get to both those questions will be very telling.
11:01That's why you don't overreact to week one of Michael Penix.
11:05It was great.
11:06It was fun to watch.
11:07It's so much better to be good than be bad.
11:12But I'm not crowning him.
11:14I'm not saying this whole thing is solved.
11:17I'm not saying anything like that.
11:18I'm not even in that world right now where I want to sit here and talk about anything other than
11:28just what we saw last night as a one-game sample size and why there is reason for hope and
11:39optimism for the future.
11:41I mean, it just really is one of those things where if you get too far ahead of yourself, you're
11:48setting yourself up for disappointment.
11:50Objectively, there are still a lot of things that could come and bite the Falcons in the backside.
11:55And objectively, guys, not wishing it, but objectively, you still have to acknowledge, as far as the long-term arc
12:03is concerned in the future, that Michael Penix could still sustain another injury.
12:07He has been injury-prone.
12:09That is not an opinion.
12:10That is a fact.
12:11He has been hurt a ton throughout his entire career.
12:14Doesn't mean it definitively will happen.
12:16But there is a track record that is there, and the probability feels high that he could be injured again.
12:21No one is wishing for it.
12:23No one wants it.
12:24But when we're talking about that long-term arc and getting that answer, that is part of that equation, and
12:30you can't deny it.
12:32Do I think we'll see more of these games from Michael Penix like he had last night than not?
12:36Sure.
12:38They're going to go down to New Orleans next week on Sunday Night Football, or Monday Night Football, rather, and
12:43see what happens.
12:44Then they've got a short week, and they've got to play the Ravens.
12:47I mean, what are we going to learn over the course of the next two games?
12:51And then, oh, by the way, they play the Bears and the Niners.
12:52The next five games, like, you know, Michael Penix being back certainly makes the Falcons more competitive.
12:58Michael Penix being back certainly gives them a better chance to win.
13:01And as I said earlier, Michael Penix being back scratches the surface of what the ceiling for this team could
13:07be offensively.
13:09And that is something that you should be excited about.
13:11It's okay to be excited about that.
13:13I'm not telling you not to be.
13:14But I am telling you, temper the expectations.
13:17Week-to-week league.
13:18This week was good.
13:19Let's see what next week brings before we start to decide either about week-to-week or long-term arc
13:26of the season.
13:28Now, let's take a moment and continue to give some love to Jeff Ulbrich and this defense.
13:34Look, I know the Packers' whole line was in shambles, but I don't care.
13:38I mean, talk about a guy who's doing more with less.
13:41Missing their two best pass rushers and their two top sack guys.
13:45And somehow, he's still putting a team together that can rush the passer as good as anybody in the league.
13:53And still putting a defense together that is formidable.
13:56Mike Hughes last night, I had a little trouble there with Matt Golden, to say the least.
14:06Hopefully, it's just a one-week thing.
14:07But, you know, I think that we have to continue to acknowledge, as much as we focus on Pennix in
14:15the offense,
14:16we have to continue to acknowledge what a critical part of this team the success of this defense is.
14:21I mean, I can't.
14:22Listen, Michael Pennix throws the pick, right?
14:25What does his defense do?
14:27Three and out.
14:28Gets the ball right back.
14:29You know how critical that is?
14:31Especially for Pennix at that point, at that juncture of the game.
14:36Imagine if his interception led immediately to a Packers score.
14:41Man, now there's even more pressure on the kid.
14:43Now there's even more desire to do even better.
14:47I mean, it could spitball very quickly.
14:49It could snowball downhill in a bad manner really quick.
14:54And that's why Jeff Ulbrich and this defense, they're not going to get enough credit.
14:59But I'll continue to bang the drum, and I'll say this, okay?
15:03Remember, I admitted this before.
15:06I was wrong on Ulbrich.
15:07When they hired him, I thought it was a bad hire.
15:09I thought it was myopic and insular.
15:11Thought that they just went what was familiar.
15:12Didn't look outside the organization.
15:14Didn't want to expand.
15:14Guess what?
15:15Jeff Ulbrich can coach his ass off.
15:17And since that day, I have admitted to everybody I am wrong.
15:20I've told Jeff Ulbrich I was wrong.
15:21I said I was sorry.
15:23I was – the dude could coach.
15:25The sad part is that he's likely gone in the next year or two to be a head coach somewhere
15:29else
15:30because guess what?
15:31He's good.
15:33He's good.
15:34And, oh, by the way, the guy is still doing this with everything going on in his personal life
15:38and doesn't appear to be missing a beat.
15:41And if you don't know what happened in his personal life, Google it.
15:43I'm not here to spread.
15:44It's not even spread.
15:45Everybody knows what happened.
15:46But just the point.
15:47It's not my business to keep to repeat it.
15:49The point is, guy can coach.
15:51And he is so damn good.
15:53So damn good.
15:54If they gave out an assistant of the year, Jeff Ulbrich is going to win the damn thing this year.
15:58That's going to be a defense that's in the top half of the league when it's all said and done.
16:03For this – with a bunch of no names and cast-offs and just duct-taping crazy glue.
16:09Now, some of these guys may go on to – you know, A.J. Terrell may go on to be
16:12a, you know,
16:13a Pro Bowl-type cornerback, a high-level cornerback.
16:16But to this point, these are all relative unknowns around the league.
16:20You ask somebody to name the top ten cornerbacks in the league,
16:23I don't know if A.J. Terrell is cracking it for most people.
16:27But the point simply is that there's just not a lot of name commodities,
16:31brand names on this defense.
16:32And Ulbrich continues – and I mean continues – to figure out a way to put together a game plan
16:42every week
16:43that is serviceable and makes this defense really, really good.
16:48Really good.
16:50So kudos all around.
16:52Enjoy it, Falcons fans.
16:53You got 11 days until the next game.
16:55You got a lot of time to soak this in.
16:57It's better to be good than bad.
16:59It's better for him to start well – penics, that is – start well than start slowly.
17:03Let's see what happens in the coming weeks.
17:06Okay?
17:07And we are going to address some of the, you know, back and forth that's gone on between members of
17:16the media in just a moment.
17:17But first, it's time for Shovels of Wisdom.
17:20Brace yourselves because it's time for the Shovel of Wisdom.
17:33And today, my Shovel goes to the NFL.
17:37Well, you see the NFL fined 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk nearly $15,000 for engaging in offensive demonstrations.
17:50According to the league, Juszczyk violated Route 12, Section 3, Article 1 when he did the imitation of a chugging
17:56of a beer.
17:57We're just under eight minutes left in the third quarters of the Niners' win against the Dolphins.
18:03Yeah.
18:04Let's see.
18:05Number one, okay, Juszczyk pushed back on social media before meeting with the actual media
18:13that his nickname is Juice.
18:17When the stadium, when he does something the stadium likes and the fans like, they go,
18:22Juice, because it's Juszczyk.
18:24That's how you say it.
18:25Juszczyk sounds like juice.
18:26Juszczyk.
18:27Okay?
18:28He celebrates by drinking juice.
18:31And he's done it that way for years.
18:32Of course, the NFL assumes he was chugging a beer.
18:38And guess what?
18:40The other irony of this is, it's okay, NFL.
18:43You sell beer at your games.
18:45You advertise with beer companies all over the place.
18:48There are beers sponsoring the Super Bowl and every other major NFL event out there.
18:52But God forbid a player imitates chugging one.
18:55That's offensive.
18:57The NFL might be one of the people running NFL might be some of the dumbest people out there.
19:01I mean, sincerely, some of the dumbest people out there.
19:05Now, speaking of dumb, I kid, but not really.
19:10It's been an interesting past week here in sports media.
19:16I'm going to say this much, and I 99.9% of the time keep all these things professional and
19:24respectful,
19:25so I'll do that here.
19:26You know, as somebody who many people think, fans and everybody else, has, quote, outlandish takes
19:35and has hot takes and everything else, there's a lot of things you can say about me.
19:42And a lot of them may be true.
19:45You could say I'm an idiot.
19:46You could say I'm wrong.
19:47I'm incorrect.
19:47I'm a blowhard.
19:49You can say anything you want about my physical appearance.
19:52You're probably accurate and right about it.
19:53You can make fun of a whole lot of things.
19:55You know what you can't ever say about me is that I don't have integrity, and I don't have take
19:58integrity.
19:59If I have a take, I stand behind it.
20:01And if it's wrong, I say I'm wrong.
20:06Just like I alluded to before with Jeff Ulbrich.
20:08Thought it was a bad hire.
20:09I've said it repeatedly.
20:10I was wrong.
20:13And for everybody out there who, fans alike, who jumped on Penix and questioned his character
20:19and questioned his toughness and questioned why he couldn't be out there on Sunday but could be ready to play
20:24on Monday,
20:25you know what?
20:26All you have to do is say, my bad.
20:30I was wrong.
20:32Mike knew his body.
20:33Mike knew what he needed.
20:35Mike knew how to get ready for the game.
20:37Mike knew what was best for him.
20:39And that's it.
20:41You know what you don't do?
20:43Take your bad take and spin it to make it something it wasn't and try to double down on it.
20:51Now, again, full disclosure, there are times where I felt I was right and have done the same thing.
20:57But you know what it's easier to do?
20:59Just say, my bad.
21:01That's all.
21:02Shouldn't have questioned him.
21:04Shouldn't have questioned him.
21:05Because here's the big thing in the big picture.
21:07Remember Overarc week to week?
21:09By the time you get to week 12, week 13, if Michael Penix as a starter is 6-3, that
21:15makes the Falcons 6-5.
21:17Okay?
21:18Is anybody going to care about the first two weeks?
21:22I mean, if you're sitting there, if he goes 6-3 over his first nine starts this year and has
21:28them in position for the playoffs, I want to know the asshat who's going to be sitting there going,
21:33if he played for a few weeks, we would be here.
21:36One, there's no guarantee of that.
21:37That's number one.
21:38Number two, he just wasn't ready.
21:40How's that sound?
21:42Maybe Mike knew best.
21:44Maybe Mike was okay doing it his way.
21:47Maybe the Falcons knew all along what the game plan was.
21:50Maybe the Falcons didn't do what was smart to start him on the Thursday so he had two and a
21:54half weeks to prepare.
21:55Then gets 11 days off to let his body recoup, let his knee recoup from taking some hits, and figure
22:00out what his body needs to get ready for the next game against a division opponent that means a lot
22:04more.
22:05Maybe they all knew.
22:07And maybe you could just turn around and say, I was wrong.
22:10My bad.
22:12It's not that hard of a leap, folks.
22:14It really isn't, and it shouldn't be, if you have integrity, and you have take integrity.
22:18It's okay to be wrong on takes.
22:20Happens to me all the time.
22:22But the easiest thing you can do when you're wrong is just to end it.
22:26I tell it to my 11-year-old twin boys all the time.
22:28Just say I'm sorry and the conversation's over.
22:31Say my bad, Dad, and the discussion ends.
22:33Got it.
22:34But as long as you acknowledge what you did wrong, know what you did wrong, and why you did it,
22:38boom.
22:39We move on.
22:41But now if you want to spin this thing into making it look like something you were right, nah.
22:46Take that somewhere else.
22:47It ain't good here.
22:49It ain't good here at all.
22:51And guess what?
22:54People can say whatever they want.
22:56I don't care.
22:56Again, I can take it.
22:58I'm not worried about any of this stuff.
23:03But my integrity is my reputation.
23:05And that, I think, beyond other things, is impeccable.
23:08And that's just, you know, one person's view, but nonetheless.
23:13So it's been a fun week, to say the least.
23:15I'm glad everything worked out in the short term here for the Falcons.
23:18Let's see what next week brings.
23:20Let's see what the next game brings.
23:22And let's hope that this is the first step in building towards a whole lot more for the Atlanta Falcons
23:28and Michael Pennix.
23:29That'll do it for this episode of A to Z.
23:31Again, make sure you subscribe.
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