ATLANTA — Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. remembers flying home after a come-from-behind victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 2. He remembers kicker Younghoe Koo ‘s game winning field goal against the New Orleans Saints in Week 4.
Now, he’ll be forced to remember a team that was once 6-3 but lost six of its final eight games en route to a disheartening 8-9 record, securing a seventh straight year with no winning record and no playoff appearance.
Penix only started the final three games, during which Atlanta went 1-2 with a pair of overtime defeats while its defense allowed 74 points. But the 24-year-old rookie already understands the talent the Falcons had, and the opportunity they let go by the wayside…