The Atlanta Falcons seemed to have turned their season around once Michael Penix Jr. took over as starting quarterback. Things certainly weren’t perfect. However, the Falcons were winning, and winning big. Unfortunately, they have cooled off.

The Falcons have lost their last two games against the Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens. These games have been somewhat close, in Atlanta’s defense. The Ravens game even went to overtime, while the Falcons rallied back from 31-7 in the fourth before falling 31-23 to the Bears.

At the same time, Penix has drawn some criticism for his play lately. One former Pro Bowler believes the finger-pointing at Penix is a bit unfair. The Falcons are struggling, but in this Pro Bowler’s view, the blame lies with the man coaching the quarterback rather than the signal-caller himself.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh Defends Michael Penix Jr.

On an episode of “Speakeasy” this week, T.J. Houshmandzadeh defended the Atlanta quarterback and instead took aim at head coach Kevin Stefanski.

“Who’s coaching me? Who’s putting in a system where our team has no idea what to do when they pressure us? Oh, the same guy that couldn’t win in Cleveland,” Houshmandzadeh remarked.

“He couldn’t win games last year in Cleveland, and they’re leading the division this year. The same guy that, when the season started, he couldn’t win a game with the Falcons. Until Michael Penix was inserted into the game as a starter when he got healthy,” he continued.

For what it’s worth, Penix has had a solid season to this point. The Falcons quarterback has thrown for 944 yards and six touchdowns in four games this year. His 77.4 PFN QB Impact Grade ranks #16 in the league. His biggest issue, especially in recent games, has been taking care of the football.

Penix has only thrown one interception this year. However, he has also fumbled three times. In Atlanta’s loss to the Bears, he fumbled twice, which means the focus will now be on taking better care of the football.

The Falcons remain in good standing in the NFC South despite their struggles. They’re 2-4, but tied for second place with the New Orleans Saints. Both teams trail the 3-2 Carolina Panthers atop the division.

Atlanta hired Stefanski in the offseason to take this team to the next level. The Falcons last made the playoffs in 2017, a year removed from their crushing Super Bowl defeat to the New England Patriots. Since that 2017 campaign, the Falcons have not had a winning season.

Bringing in Stefanski was meant to help Atlanta win what has been a very winnable division in recent memory. So far, there are some growing pains in Atlanta. The Falcons are still getting used to this new system, and Penix is still trying to find his feet as a starting quarterback in the NFL.

Atlanta will look to get closer to .500 on Sunday when they take on the undefeated San Francisco 49ers in Week 7.