The Atlanta Falcons are one of the few teams that don't knowwho their starting quarterback will bewhen Week 1 rolls around, and it's hard to tell if that's a good or bad thing. Some would say that it's a bad thing, especially with Tua Tagovailoa not being able to close the gap in the preseason opener against the Denver Broncos.
Itwasn't the best showingfor Tagovailoa in a few snaps, and he'll have the next two weeks to prove that he deserves the starting spot. The thing is that Michael Penix Jr. could be breathing down his neck, even though he's still not cleared for 11-on-11s. If you ask head coach Kevin Stefanski, he's perfectly content with not knowingwho the starter will be:
"“I am very comfortable with where we are right now, and that’s kind of where I will leave it,” coach Kevin Stefanski said Monday. “We are continuing on our process, keeping the main thing the main thing, which is the practices this week.”"Josh Kendall of The Athletic
Tua Tagovailoa didn't separate himself in QB hierarchy
The Falcons will have joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts before their second preseason game, and Penix will be given the opportunity to participate in 7-on-7s. The fact that they're prioritizing Penix getting those reps shows that he's still not out of the quarterback race, and all he needs to do is get cleared by doctors to be a full go.
Tagovailo showed against the Broncos that he's limited in pushing the ball down the field, and that's something that Penix has never had a problem with, dating back to his collegiate days. With the Falcons having several wide receivers who can separate with their speed, it's important to have somebody who is willing to throw the deep ball while also being accurate.
When Tagovailoa was on the field, he dunked the ball down to Kyle Pitts several times. That's not a problem, especially if Pitts is getting yards after the catch, but at some point, you're going to need a big play from the offense. Tagovailoa has never been seen as a quarterback who'd throw the deep ball, which is why Penix still has a chance of being the starting quarterback.
Michael Penix Jr. still has a chance to win starting job
It's uncertain when he'll finally be cleared, but it's coming up on the four-week mark that he noted when asked about a timeline for when he could be a full go in practice. As of now, he's doing what he can in 7-on-7s, and the Falcons are making sure he gets as many reps as he can.
It'll be interesting to see how joint practices go with the Colts during the week, and if Penix can make a case for himself just by doing 7-on-7s, and Tagovailoa doesn't put any pressure on the Falcons to hand him the starting job soon, things could get interesting.
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