00:00Joe Patrick was awesome yesterday at Falcons.
00:03He's right smack there and put it online within seconds
00:06when Michael Penix explaining his reasonings.
00:10Joe, I'll say this for a team that is not supposed to factor in
00:14to the big picture of the NFL hierarchy for this season.
00:20Boy, the Falcons have been front and center
00:22with the news coming out of Flowery Branch.
00:25Yeah, I mean, the palace drama is always so intriguing for the Falcons,
00:29even when they haven't been as relevant at the end of the season.
00:32They always seem very relevant at the beginning of the season
00:35with all the things that are going on,
00:36whether it's the Kirk Cousins saga or then obviously Penix replacing him
00:40and obviously what we have now here.
00:42So, yeah, a lot of tea leaves to kind of read between and things like that,
00:46but, you know, it's always interesting.
00:49Were you surprised that the timing of the announcement really was perfect
00:53with exactly one week to go?
00:55You made that call Sunday night, Monday morning.
00:58Yeah, I wasn't too surprised.
01:00I thought maybe they could have even left it a day.
01:03I don't really think they would have had to had to announce it
01:06until Wednesday at the very latest
01:09where they would have had to at least say something.
01:11But I think it was appropriate to do it on Monday.
01:13Obviously, a lot of media were going to be there.
01:15It's game week, you know,
01:16and I think it just gives everybody a certain level of confidence
01:20is the right word,
01:21but at least knowing that there's a plan in place
01:23for how the team is going to go out there
01:25and attempt to beat the Steelers.
01:27And, you know, it's obviously, I think,
01:29a situation where there's still a little bit less to be determined
01:32as to how this played out, you know, to this point
01:36and how it's going to play out from here
01:38because something that I can't help but notice
01:40in all the communications the team has put out
01:43and what Kevin Stefanski has said
01:44is that this is basically all just relevant towards week one.
01:47Like, this is not really going forward into the season.
01:51I haven't heard the phrase of Tua having won,
01:54quote-unquote, the job
01:56as if there's just one starting quarterback
01:58that there's going to be for the team this year.
02:00I think this is all very kind of temporary
02:03and we will see how things go.
02:05If Tua started winning every game,
02:08you know, I think he'll obviously keep his job,
02:10but we'll see if that happens.
02:12And Kevin Stefanski did say there is,
02:14they're confident in the plan that they have
02:17from Michael Penix.
02:18And Penix then went on to say that he feels really close
02:21and then he emphasized that by saying it again,
02:22really close.
02:23So you do wonder maybe if they're planning for him
02:27to maybe get a couple weeks
02:28and then they've obviously got that mini-bye
02:30between games three and four.
02:31Maybe that would be a time to potentially insert him
02:34if, you know, Tua isn't kind of blowing the team away.
02:37So we'll see how it goes,
02:38but it doesn't seem like it's anywhere close
02:40to an actual conclusion
02:42as to who's going to be playing starting quarterback
02:44for this team for the majority of the season.
02:45Joe Patrick, our Falcons beat reporter.
02:47Joe, immediately when the news hit
02:49out of the press conference
02:50and Kevin spoke before Penix, correct?
02:53Right.
02:54Okay.
02:54Correct.
02:54So then the headline was,
02:56Tua wins the job.
02:57Tua's the starting quarterback.
02:58As if Michael Penix did not go in and say,
03:02which we find out later happened,
03:04Michael Penix went in to Kevin and said,
03:06I'm not ready.
03:07I'm not going to play.
03:07So there's your winning quarterback is Tua.
03:10Then it'll be Cooper.
03:11And then it's going to be with Penix being inactive.
03:16So can you kind of explain to everybody,
03:18this wasn't like they decided
03:20because Penix wasn't practicing.
03:22Penix took himself out.
03:24Yeah, that's how it sounds like.
03:26And I mean,
03:26I think Penix made that pretty clear
03:28that this was,
03:29you know,
03:29it's not so much like a determination
03:32of who's going to be the quarterback,
03:33but almost a conversation
03:34about who's going to be the quarterback,
03:36getting input from all involved.
03:38And it just felt like Penix,
03:40you know,
03:40said that he just didn't kind of feel quite ready yet.
03:44And I asked Kevin to fancy in that press conference
03:46what the difference is
03:47between being medically cleared
03:48and being ready to play.
03:51And he kind of defined that as,
03:53you know,
03:53you can be clear,
03:54you can be cleared physically
03:56to go out there and play.
03:57But as a player,
03:58are you comfortable
03:59in being able to execute
04:01what the team is going to be asking?
04:03If Tommy Reese is calling,
04:04you know,
04:04a naked boot out there,
04:06like,
04:06is he comfortable?
04:07Is he going to have his,
04:08his wits about him
04:09to be able to kind of do all the things
04:11that he needs to do?
04:12And he has not practiced all that much yet.
04:14So I think it's defensible
04:16that he would kind of not be
04:18quote unquote ready to play,
04:19even though he is cleared.
04:21But yeah,
04:22it certainly seems like Penix is the one
04:23who kind of,
04:24you know,
04:25put his foot down a little bit
04:26in this situation.
04:27I couldn't help,
04:28but kind of take my mind
04:29back to that conversation
04:30that Penix had with Cam Newton
04:32on Cam Newton's podcast,
04:33where they had that conversation
04:35about,
04:35you know,
04:36make sure you are at a hundred percent
04:38and have no kind of,
04:41you know,
04:42ifs or buts about,
04:43you know,
04:43if you feel like you're ready to play
04:45at that point in time.
04:46And especially for Penix,
04:47if he goes out there
04:48and either plays really poorly
04:51or God forbid,
04:53you know,
04:53gets another injury,
04:54if he receives another serious knee injury,
04:57that could be the end of his career.
04:58So there's a lot rioting
05:00on this next stint
05:01that Michael Penix
05:02is going to have in the NFL.
05:03And so I think for that reason,
05:04he's wanting to be
05:06extremely cautious
05:07and very careful
05:08and making sure that he feels
05:10confident and comfortable,
05:11ready to play,
05:12which he said he's getting there.
05:13But I think there's just
05:14a little bit ways
05:15you get yet for him to go.
05:16Yeah.
05:16Fans are used to hearing
05:18you're cleared.
05:19Fans are used to hearing
05:20football players
05:21dying to get back on the field.
05:23Matt Ryan,
05:23obviously that era,
05:25Brett Favre and the news
05:26a bunch over the weekend
05:27for the wrong reasons
05:28of how he looked and sounded.
05:30But again,
05:30that was an era
05:31where they didn't overanalyze
05:32that you feel like you're ready.
05:34If you're cleared,
05:35you go.
05:36Here was Michael Penix
05:37and not to play
05:39armchair psychologist,
05:40but listen to him
05:41try to explain
05:42why he took himself
05:43out of the mix.
05:44Right now,
05:45like I feel like
05:46it's still things
05:47that I want to get better at.
05:48You know,
05:49obviously just having
05:49that week of practice
05:50felt real good.
05:51I felt real comfortable,
05:52confident,
05:53but we still got
05:54a little bit of ways to go.
05:55What hurdles
05:56do you have to clear
05:56do you think?
05:57I want to be stronger.
05:58I want to be able
05:58to be out there
05:59and give the team
06:00100%,
06:01and if I don't feel
06:02like I can do that,
06:03I don't want to,
06:04that's not fair
06:04for this team,
06:05that's not fair
06:05for this organization.
06:06I want to make sure
06:07whenever I am
06:08out there,
06:09I'm 100%,
06:10and there's no doubt
06:11in my mind
06:11that I trust my knee
06:13and I trust
06:13to go out there
06:15and help this team
06:15on a football game.
06:16So he's still referencing
06:18trusting my knee.
06:20The doctor's saying
06:23you should trust your knee.
06:24That's why we cleared you.
06:25We have no agenda
06:26about beating Pittsburgh.
06:27We don't care about that.
06:28He said himself,
06:29I have a super,
06:30you know,
06:31human new ACL,
06:32you know,
06:33referenced.
06:35You know,
06:35I think there is
06:36a psychology
06:37that I hear
06:38in watching him
06:40and a tentativeness
06:41that any athlete
06:42from three ACLs
06:44and the devastation
06:46of having that happen
06:47numerous times,
06:48four times,
06:49his seasons have ended
06:50with injuries,
06:51and I don't think,
06:53Joe,
06:53all the sports psychologists
06:55in the world
06:55can necessarily
06:58overcome an athlete
06:59that is just
07:00feeling tentative
07:02or anxious
07:03about a return.
07:05Yeah,
07:06I think,
07:06you know,
07:07there's that mind-muscle
07:08connection
07:08that only the individual
07:10can really feel
07:12and understand
07:13how their body's responding
07:14in these very,
07:15you know,
07:16quick reaction
07:17type of situations.
07:19I would just,
07:20you know,
07:20just to throw it out there,
07:21even in not,
07:22like,
07:22take the football player
07:23out of it,
07:24like,
07:24I know,
07:25like,
07:25my dad had a shoulder
07:27surgery,
07:27he had a shoulder replacement,
07:28and there is,
07:29like,
07:30like,
07:31there are some moments
07:32where he thinks
07:32he's going to feel
07:33some pain
07:33when he does something,
07:34he's like,
07:34oh,
07:35well,
07:35actually,
07:35it's great,
07:35you know,
07:36it is true,
07:36like,
07:36the shoulder is better,
07:37but you just don't
07:39feel that way
07:40psychologically
07:40in your mind,
07:41it's so ingrained
07:42that,
07:43you know,
07:43this could happen to you,
07:44like,
07:44this bad thing
07:45or whatever it is,
07:46so I just think
07:47there's going to be
07:48a little bit of that
07:49to get over.
07:49Now,
07:49I do think that people
07:50are bringing up
07:51a good point,
07:51which is,
07:53well,
07:53how is he going
07:54to get over that,
07:54you know,
07:55like,
07:55is in practice,
07:56is he actually going,
07:57he's not going to get hit,
07:58so how is he actually
07:59going to get over that?
08:00I don't have a great
08:01answer for that,
08:02and at some point,
08:03he will have to experience
08:04a new feeling
08:06when he gets out there
08:07on the field
08:07in the heat
08:08of a regular season game,
08:09but I think,
08:10you know,
08:10I just trust Penix
08:11at this point in time
08:12and that he's actually
08:13telling the truth,
08:14and I think it's actually
08:15a little bit admirable
08:16of him to basically
08:17admit that he's not there yet.
08:18Yeah,
08:18it's unique.
08:20We only have two minutes
08:21left.
08:21Really quick,
08:22I don't know that he's
08:23going to get better
08:23this week in terms
08:24of how he looks.
08:25I don't know how many
08:25snaps he gets.
08:26Cooper Rush has got
08:27to be ready to go
08:28because anything
08:29could happen to Tua.
08:30Penix is inactive,
08:31so how many reps
08:34does an inactive player
08:36on a roster see
08:37getting ready for Pittsburgh?
08:39Well,
08:40I think that this
08:40goes back to
08:41Kevin Stefanski
08:42saying that they feel
08:42really good about
08:43the plan for him
08:44and that I think
08:44there's going to be
08:45a plan in the practices
08:47as well to kind of
08:49get him ramped up
08:50and to kind of
08:51continue to work
08:51on these things.
08:52Yep.
08:53Can you watch
08:53practice today?
08:55No,
08:56we won't actually
08:56see any more practices.
08:57I mean,
08:58we get to see
08:58the opening 15 minutes
08:59when they're doing
09:00individual and warm-up,
09:01but we won't actually
09:02get to see them
09:02run through any plays
09:03or anything like that
09:04for the rest of the year,
09:05unfortunately.
09:05So we won't,
09:07but we do get to see
09:08them throw the ball
09:08around a little bit.
09:09All right,
09:09we know the offense
09:10has weapons that,
09:11you know,
09:11if Tua gets them
09:12the ball in the right place,
09:13we have a chance to score.
09:15How worried are we
09:15about the defense?
09:16And talk about
09:17the defensive moves
09:19made in a minute
09:22over the last
09:22three or four weeks
09:24and could they have,
09:25could they come
09:25to fruition
09:26from guys we aren't
09:27familiar with
09:28on Sunday?
09:30Yeah,
09:30it's going to be tough.
09:31I mean,
09:31I think that this team
09:32is going to be relying
09:33on this defense
09:34to at least
09:34kind of hold down
09:35Aaron Rodgers
09:36and the sealers
09:37to minimal points.
09:38You've got to feel
09:39like this is going
09:40to be,
09:40if the Falcons
09:41are going to win
09:41at least,
09:42a low-scoring affair.
09:43And,
09:44you know,
09:44I think it's going
09:45to be a little bit
09:45similar for both teams
09:46where I think
09:47they're going to get
09:47up in the faces
09:48of these opposing
09:48receivers and try
09:49to press some
09:51of these guys
09:51so that for these,
09:52you know,
09:52weaker-armed quarterbacks,
09:54I would say,
09:54and Tua and Aaron Rodgers,
09:56although Aaron Rodgers
09:56still has,
09:57you know,
09:57when he has a clean pocket,
09:58he still has a gun
09:59on him.
09:59But I think they're
10:00going to want to force
10:01them to try to hit
10:02them over the top.
10:02And I think Jeff Holbrook
10:03is going to have to get
10:04really creative
10:05with the way he brings
10:06pressures now that he's
10:07lost,
10:07obviously,
10:07a couple of really
10:08important pass rushers
10:09over the course
10:10of this preseason.
10:12So,
10:12they got Mary Smith back.
10:13He will help,
10:14but I think that they're
10:14going to really utilize
10:15a lot of these linebackers
10:16and maybe even
10:17Billy Bowman returning.
10:18I don't think he returned
10:19this week,
10:19but he wasn't practiced
10:20yesterday.
10:21So,
10:21that will be another tool
10:22in Jeff Holbrook's
10:23tool belt for a little
10:24bit later on.
10:24Well,
10:24it's going to have to be
10:25guys we didn't see
10:26coming.
10:27Maybe Devon Diablo
10:28is the MVP of the defense
10:32captain and all that,
10:33you know,
10:34continues to make big
10:35plays,
10:35but we shall see,
10:38buddy.
10:38It's going to be a
10:38fascinating week.
10:39Great to have you on.
10:40Thanks,
10:40Joe.
10:40Great job with Michael
10:41Penix across the board.
10:43All right.
10:43Thanks,
10:43guys.
10:44Always enjoy being on.
10:45Thanks.
10:46There he is,
10:47Joe Patrick.
10:49Doing a great job
10:50covering the Falcons
10:51the way he has.
10:52Right?
10:53I think the national
10:54coverage was interesting
10:55yesterday,
10:55like I talked about at stake,
10:56and I'm sure you saw
10:57the tickers and the whole
10:58thing where Tua wins
10:59the job.
11:00Tua is the guy.
11:01They've picked Tua over
11:02Penix,
11:02and that's not what
11:03happened at all.
11:04No,
11:04Michael Penix,
11:05not ready to go,
11:07plain and simple.
11:08Made the decision easy.
11:09Painful,
11:10but easy.
