Channing Crowder turned a conversation about Michael Penix Jr. protection into a viral punchline on The Pivot Podcast, and Ryan Clark could barely keep it together.
The clip that spread across social media came from a discussion that was meant to be about keeping Penix safe in games. Crowder made the point that the Atlanta Falcons are better when their quarterback is protected, but it was the way he kept repeating it that sent the room into chaos.
“You got to protect the Penix,” Crowder said. “The protected Penix is the best in its field.
An unprotected Penix is in real danger. You must protect the Penix.”
He kept going, leaning all the way into the bit.
“Guys, it’s in the top ten in the QBR ranking when it’s protected. When he is not protected, his record is 1-for-16 this season. You need to protect the Penix, man,” he declared.
Then came the line that pushed it even further.
“Nobody wants Penix unprotected. It is indeed a brittle Penix.
We know about his knees. It’s a brittle Penix.
We need a strong Penix.”
As funny as the delivery was, the football point behind it held up. Penix led the Falcons to a 29-20 win over the San Francisco 49ers this past Sunday, a result that also handed the 49ers their first loss of the season. For his performance, he was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week.
Penix has put together a strong season overall, completing 66.7% of his passes for 1,157 yards with nine touchdowns and just one interception. He also ranks fourth among NFL quarterbacks with a 109.1 passer rating and is tied for fifth with an average of 8 yards per pass attempt.
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