It took longer than the Falcons would have hoped, but Michael Penix has now been a starting quarterback for the equivalent of a full season.

Last Sunday’s 29-20 win over the 49ers was his 17th NFL start and Penix had one of his better games in that outing. He was 25-of-34 for 213 yards and three touchdowns as the Falcons moved to 7-10 in his starts.

While that record could be better, Penix’s individual numbers back up the promise the Falcons saw in him coming out of Washington. Penix has thrown for 3,876 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions while completing 61.5 percent of his passes. In his five starts this season, Penix has helped the Falcons to 31 points a game, which is tops in the league over that span, and he’s convinced safety Jessie Bates that he’s the right man for the job.

“When No. 9 is out there, this team is a completely different football team and I really truly believe that he is a franchise quarterback. . . . You can sleep good at night when you have Michael Penix playing quarterback for you,” Bates said this week, via the team’s website.

The Falcons are 3-2 since Penix returned from last season’s torn ACL and a win over the Buccaneers this weekend would leave them at 4-4 on the season. It would also have them in first place in the NFC South if the Panthers lose to the Packers on Thursday night, which would be a good step toward convincing others that Bates’s assessment is on the mark.