Falcons blow out Giants in Michael Penix’s first career start

So far, so good for Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix.

Penix started for the first time in his career today against the Giants, and he did well enough to win — with a big assist from Giants quarterback Drew Lock, whose two pick-sixes pretty much handed the 34-7 win to the Falcons.

Penix completed 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards with no touchdowns and one interception, but he was better than the statistics suggested as he didn’t get a lot of help from his receivers, most notably Kyle Pitts, who let a perfect pass from Penix bounce off his hands for an interception.

But the real story of the game was that Lock threw two pick-sixes, and the Giants really had no hope of winning given how bad their offense was. The Giants did briefly have a 7-0 lead, but the Falcons dominated the game after that.

The loss drops the Giants to 2-13, and for now they have the lead in the race to earn the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. They’re in desperate need of a franchise quarterback and hope to find one there.

The win improves the Falcons’ record to 8-7 and keeps them in playoff contention. They hope Penix can lead them there.