- 27 minutes ago
Kevin Stefanski hadn't spoken to his quarterbacks at noon, but said he had an idea on who would start Thursday in Green Bay. The Falcons have named Michael Penix Jr. their Week 3 starting QB, and Dukes & Bell react to the breaking news.
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00:00That was Kevin Stefanski earlier today, saying a decision could come as early as this afternoon.
00:07It just did.
00:08If you're joining us for the first time today, thank you for listening to Atlanta's number one sports station.
00:13It's number one sports show, Dukes and Bell.
00:15Michael Penix is playing Thursday.
00:18Thank God.
00:19Does this make me feel better?
00:21Yeah, because after what I just saw, it cannot be any worse than that.
00:25And so, Mike, for what little hope we had, not knowing what this is going to look like for Thursday,
00:32whether Tua might be ready.
00:33There was no way they were going to run Cooper Rush back out there.
00:36This does make me feel better.
00:38It doesn't take the bad taste out of my mouth for yesterday.
00:41If we win on Thursday, yes, it will.
00:45But, man, I hope he's ready.
00:47I hope he's ready.
00:48And look, you and I were just talking because we played that soundbite from earlier today with the media up
00:52there talking to Stefanski.
00:53So what changed in four hours?
00:54There was a practice.
00:55There was something that was going on.
00:56There was film.
00:57They did something.
00:58And then does Mike just literally go, hey, they weren't practicing today.
01:01He said they were just going to work out and stuff.
01:04Coach, I'm ready to go.
01:06I mean, because it's basically been like the ball has always been in Michael Penix Jr.'s court from everything we've
01:11heard from the interviews and the coach's comments.
01:12Right, Carl?
01:13Yes.
01:14They've allowed him and they've allowed him to talk about everything very openly about where his head was at.
01:18So, look, I'm just happy this is over and hopefully this guy has some success because, as you said,
01:23I mean, there's this quarterback hell we're living in these first two weeks.
01:26It can't go on.
01:27I just hope big man's ready to go on Thursday night.
01:29Now, a couple guys said, look, maybe this was always the plan.
01:32This was always the plan.
01:33They did a hell of a job of sandbagging it.
01:35We thought maybe the buildup to the Saints game would be easier for him to get the practice in either
01:39way.
01:40Some guys also said there's no reason he could have played Sunday and then turn around on Thursday coming off
01:45the injury.
01:45Okay.
01:46Why?
01:46Then he's not healthy.
01:47Well, again, that's what I just said.
01:48But, again, people want to make excuses.
01:49I'm done with this.
01:50The good news is he's here.
01:52He's going to play.
01:53So, whatever he needed to check off in his head, the confidence is back.
01:57Hopefully, we'll get a chance if he kicks ass that we'll talk to him as the player guest next week
02:01and we'll talk about what happened.
02:02This, Mike, I don't know if this was the plan.
02:05404-726-0929.
02:07We're taking plenty of your phone calls, guys, between now and the end of the show.
02:09It's all you.
02:10Because this is all anyone has been talking about.
02:14And now that he's going to be back, I really want to know what you think and what your expectations
02:18are.
02:19And are you a little disappointed he didn't play yesterday?
02:21Because, again, I agree with Mike on this.
02:23Like, in 24 hours, you're not going to tell me you woke up, got out of bed, and went, damn,
02:27the knee!
02:28That's not what happened here.
02:30So, his preparation, he's been preparing, allegedly, and getting reps and getting ready.
02:34And, you know, the idea for me, though, is when we talk about what Penix is and what he isn't,
02:41I just hope, like, we get the guy we saw, Mike, at his best last year.
02:48And I don't know if that's going to happen in game one, coming into this season, when we feel like
02:53he took that turn against Carolina at the end of the season.
02:55In the same game, he gets hurt, and it felt like, man, he was on to something.
02:59So, I don't know.
03:00But I do know that there are a lot of people right now who are finally, like, there's this sigh,
03:06there's this deep breath of relief that, okay, this guy's actually going to play.
03:11And, you know what, I say I don't think it was a plan because I think this was still his
03:14timetable.
03:15I still think he was making the decision on this.
03:18So, if he came today and said, I'm good to go, coach, or if you felt that he heard the
03:23boo birds, it had nothing to do with him, but, I mean, he just heard the fan base and said,
03:26like, I got to step in.
03:28And maybe we'll find out if that was the motivation in addition to finally feeling 100.
03:32But either way, I'm just happy that we got a guy that we can now continue the exploration of what
03:37this quarterback is going to be.
03:38Because the best thing, guys, as much as we love Trinidad Chambliss, you like Arch Manning, is for this guy
03:43to establish himself as the man.
03:44We've always said that.
03:46The argument, and what got me pulling my hair out, was when is he going to be able to get
03:50back out there and start this process?
03:51So, hopefully he does.
03:53Because, look, the odds are still against, are long against him because of the injury history.
03:57Sure.
03:57And hopefully that doesn't rear his ugly head.
03:59But let's go, man.
04:00Now we're excited about Thursday night.
04:02Now we're not dreading Thursday night.
04:05Tone in Atlanta, thank you for dialing us up here on Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.
04:08Hey, man, what are your thoughts?
04:10Hey, man, I'm on air.
04:11What's going on, fellas?
04:12Yeah, man.
04:14What's going on?
04:14Oh, with Michael Penis, man, I'm happy, man.
04:21For the next couple weeks, hopefully until the end of the season, we don't have to watch that bad of
04:25a quarterback play that we did the first two weeks.
04:30And when it comes to this front office, I feel like it's on Penis a little bit, you know, because
04:36mostly, I feel like they let him say too much in the interviews.
04:40Like, they should have just kept him.
04:42But I feel like this has been the plan the whole time.
04:44They got to at least play two to three games.
04:47He played none.
04:49Yeah, he played none.
04:50So I feel like that's the front office part.
04:51So now it's more pressure on Michael Penis to come back because y'all got a backup quarterback or a
04:56replacement quarterback or a substitute quarterback that hasn't did a substitution or nothing.
05:01So I just feel like all hopes is up for this week on.
05:07And let's go where we are.
05:09Let's go 15-2, baby.
05:11Let's go 15-2.
05:12I appreciate the call.
05:12It would be one of the best stories in the history of the league because of overcoming the adversity that
05:19not only himself, but this team has had to overcome in the first two weeks.
05:23This has looked like the worst football team ever the first two weeks of the season.
05:28Like, seriously.
05:29And we know it's not because there were glimpses of things that they did well and there were certain plays.
05:33But that's how this looks.
05:35And so, yeah, that would be a remarkable story.
05:37But I just want to temper my expectations.
05:40I cannot get so caught up in, and again, I am not going to do this.
05:44Maybe some of you will.
05:45He's not the savior.
05:46He's going to come in and hopefully play really quality quarterback play and with the complementary pieces we have, get
05:53the guys the ball where they need to get it, and this offense moves the football and we score and
05:59we're in games.
06:00That is my expectation.
06:02It is not for him to come out and throw five touchdowns against Green Bay and for 450 yards.
06:06If he does, great.
06:08But that's, Mike, there are some people who think, like, he's going to come out and it's just going to
06:12be whoop, whoop, and he's going to be completely on.
06:14Right.
06:14Now, it's hard to gauge because, you know, this is a short work week.
06:17You don't get in that rhythm you were talking about.
06:20So I presume that they saw enough things or it ultimately came down to him, and maybe we'll get more
06:25clarification from Stefanski tomorrow, that Mike came in and said, I'm good.
06:28Like, I'm good.
06:29I wasn't good Friday.
06:30I'm good now.
06:30And he's good to go, and we can laugh about it, and he kicks ass.
06:34But last year, there was good, bad, and ugly.
06:37And that's something we've talked about.
06:39You know, I thought he looked looser and more fluid the first two years ago, his first three games.
06:44You know, that Washington game we talked about, we made some big throws and had them drive, and then Raheem
06:48screwed up clock management.
06:49And then that game he throws with 300 yards and two scores against Carolina, we couldn't stop him.
06:53Best game last year?
06:54Talked about it.
06:55The Washington game.
06:5620-26 for 3-13.
06:5876.9 completion percentage.
06:59If he's living there as Stefanski's offense, short stuff underneath, and then, boom, the defense sucks in.
07:05You've got to run the ball effectively, and then we go over the top on Green Bay, and we get
07:08the game we always wanted.
07:09We're fine.
07:09Yeah, if that's the case, here's the other kicker before we grab Teddy and Sam.
07:15Three primetime games to start his season.
07:17How about that?
07:19But we're about to find out really quickly here.
07:21And I'm going to tell you, even if you don't think the Packers are that good, and I'm with Mike,
07:24I think they're okay.
07:25I don't think they're barnstormers or whatever the hell you want to say.
07:29You could beat the Packers with Penix playing.
07:31Okay.
07:32But that Saints game in New Orleans, I'm telling you right now, we already know.
07:37They're crazy.
07:37Okay?
07:38We know how crazy that can be.
07:40That is good.
07:41Talk about going into a storm lane, Kiffin.
07:42That's going into a storm.
07:43Then you turn right back around, and here comes Lamar.
07:46And the Ravens defense, yeah.
07:47And they lost yesterday, and Lamar, you know, I mean, I just think, like, these next three games, and Mike,
07:52if we were to find a way, oh, my God, to be 3-0 after that, that changes everything.
07:58And then we're feeling good.
08:00And then, because, guys, as much as you love, all these guys we're watching on Saturdays in college, you have
08:04no idea who's going to be the man in the NFL.
08:06No idea.
08:07We just saw the draft class that Mike was just in, combination of injury, you know, J.J. McCarthy, and
08:12now, again, more injuries for Jaden Daniels.
08:14You know, Caleb Williams finally looks like he's become a superstar, and now he's dealing with an injury.
08:18But you don't know what you're going to get.
08:20Who thought that Bo Nix was going to be one of the stars of that class, right?
08:23Yeah.
08:24Well, obviously the Broncos.
08:25Sean Payton.
08:26Sean Payton.
08:26But that's why I would much, the best-case scenario is he reinvents himself.
08:31And when he actually said the doctor thought his knee was going to be great, that his knee is going
08:34to be great.
08:35And that doesn't give him any more trouble.
08:37Teddy in Hampton.
08:38You're on Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.
08:39Teddy, Michael Pinnix, name the starter guys for Thursday's Thursday night football game in Green Bay.
08:45Teddy, what's on your mind?
08:46Hey, man.
08:47Hey, guys.
08:47How y'all doing?
08:48Good, man.
08:49Good, good.
08:50Hey, I'm a season ticket holder at 116.
08:53I want to say this, man.
08:55I really hope nothing happens like when two are supposed to start and didn't.
09:00I don't want to get my hopes up just yet.
09:02And I speak for the guys in 116.
09:04I'm just waiting to – when it happens, it happens.
09:07I'm glad.
09:08But I just cannot get my hopes up and say, hey, I'm happy you're starting.
09:13But comes game time or something, something happens, you can't get out there.
09:18Yeah.
09:19No, it's fair.
09:20That would be the gut punch, man.
09:21That would be a gut punch.
09:22I think – I don't think they –
09:23No setbacks.
09:24Yeah, I couldn't imagine the Falcons going public with this unless they're locked and loaded.
09:27Yeah, no setbacks.
09:30Let's talk to Sam in Southwest Atlanta.
09:32Sam, welcome in, man.
09:33You're on Sports Radio 92.9 The Game.
09:34Hey, man.
09:36Hey, man.
09:37What's going on?
09:38Hey, man.
09:39Hey, I'm calling in because, you know, I've been a Falcons fan for several years.
09:45Been tailgated down there all the time.
09:47Went down there yesterday and I saw everybody coming out of the game at halftime.
09:50I feel like – I love the passion for this city and the fans and I love listening to all
09:57the callers today and yesterday.
09:59I feel like one of the main problems is the Falcons like hiring people that they can control.
10:05I want to see a coach here that brings the fire.
10:09And I saw the fire with, like, Dan Quinn at one point.
10:12And it seemed like he got turned down.
10:14Same way with Mike Smith.
10:15And it's like – it seems like we never get the person in here that can pull the strings and
10:22say, hey, this is my way.
10:24This is what I want to do.
10:25This is what I'm going to call this ship and move this way.
10:28We get the guys that have to comply to the Falcons' way and it seems like it never turns into
10:34a victorious season for us.
10:36So, that's how I feel as a fan, man.
10:38I love your show and I just want to share that intake with you, man.
10:42No, appreciate you, brother.
10:43I mean, look, you could argue that, you know, they had – they knew that Penix was coming off an
10:47injury.
10:47Tua was going to be the guy to start the first two weeks.
10:49And then Tua gets hurt and it makes Defansky look like an idiot because Defansky, he uses coach speak.
10:54He's not a guy – I mean, players like playing for him mostly in Cleveland, right?
10:58A lot of crazy circumstances up there.
11:00I mean, the guy that you and I were talking about earlier in the show, Mike McDaniel – Mike McDonald,
11:05I should say, with Seahawks.
11:07That guy's an alpha.
11:09That guy has taken that team to the Super Bowl.
11:11He works in concert with his general manager and they've got a persona and a swagger.
11:16We didn't want any of that.
11:17We didn't trust another rookie head coach.
11:19So, it was either – and Belichick was close and it was raw.
11:22And this last go-around, they locked in on Defansky once Harbaugh said no.
11:25Yeah.
11:26Well, he didn't say no, did he?
11:28Did he say no?
11:29Did Giants just come over the top like a poker game?
11:32Well, no.
11:32I mean, can we confirm that he said no?
11:35Because he was never offered the job.
11:37He didn't say no.
11:39The Harbaugh thing is very interesting.
11:41And, Mike, today it's about Penix.
11:44We will get into that because Mike asked me this question earlier and I said, I'll tell you later.
11:49And then this news drops.
11:50We will stay right here with Michael Penix because it is the big news.
11:53But Harbaugh never turned this job down because he was never offered the job.
11:58But, which is – I don't count on what we were told.
12:01Falcons held a walkthrough today, by the way.
12:02You were asking, what was the practice week like?
12:04Well, Monday was a walkthrough.
12:05It's had a full practice.
12:06Torrey McElhaney works for the Falcons reporting.
12:08Therefore, injury report is an estimate.
12:10But, to Juwan Taylor – remember, Juwan Taylor got banged up and left the game yesterday.
12:14Yeah, he did, man.
12:15And that is the blind side.
12:16It was a cheap shot, by the way.
12:18Yep.
12:18It was a cheap shot.
12:20A guy literally dropped an atomic elbow on him on the pick six in the end zone.
12:24So, Michael Gerald would be the right tackle.
12:26Yeah.
12:27At least, yeah, that's what it looks like.
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