Over the last two weeks, the Atlanta Falcons have looked like one of the best teams in the league, and it all started with Michael Penix Jr. coming in as the starting quarterback. With him leading the offense, the team has taken a turn for the better, and it looks like nobody can stop them on that side of the ball.
It may be insane for some people to think how much the quarterback position can change a team, but the Falcons have been proof of this over the past few weeks. Whether it's been the run game with Bijan Robinson and Brian Robinson Jr., or the pass game with Drake London, the Green Bay Packers and New Orleans didn't have an answer for anything.
Falcons' offense is bringing back 2016 memories
80 points have been put on the board for the Falcons in Weeks 3 and 4 combined, and the offense hasn't been this dominant since 2016, which was the season they went to the Super Bowl. That offense was special, with Matt Ryan playing at an MVP level, and he had players such as Julio Jones, Mohamed Sanu, Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman to give the ball to. Almost every week, an opposing team tried to slow them down, and most of them failed.
This is what this offense has felt like over the past two weeks, and they have the talent on the field to continue this strong play. No, Penix isn't Ryan, and London isn't Jones, but the Falcons have the makings of a unit that could be hard to stop on Sundays. The running game is the main catalyst of their success, and Bjan is truly hard to stop when he has any open space. When it's goal-line time, Brian just bullies his way into the end zone.
Though London has been getting a bulk of the targets, other players have found success here and there. After a quiet night against the Packers, Kyle Pitts was able to make an impact against the Saints. Jahan Dotson found the end zone after a beautiful pass from Penix in the second half.
Michael Penix Jr. has been a gamechanger for the Falcons
In the end, Penix is the reason that all of this is happening, and the Falcons aren't asking him to do anything special. Offensive coordinator Tommy Rees is putting him in the best position to succeed, and all he's doing is making the right reads. After barely playing under center last season, it looks like Penix is more comfortable than ever in that area, which says a lot about how Zac Robinson was probably holding him back.
It's just been two weeks, but this offense feels real familiar from a decade ago, and with how far that team was able to go, the hope is that this team could do the same.
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