The Falcons spent their Week 5 matchup in Baltimore dealing with more than just the Ravens. What began with Michael Penix Jr. running the offense turned into a brief injury scare that forced Atlanta to call on Tua Tagovailoa for a single play before Penix returned.
NFL insider Ari Meirov reported the mid-game switch, writing: “Tua Tagovailoa came in for a play, but Penix is making his way back in,” Meirov wrote.
The tense moment came late in the fourth quarter, after Penix took a hard hit and had to leave the field. He was able to walk off without help, but the Falcons still had to check him out medically, and Tagovailoa stepped in for one play before Penix went back in to finish the drive.
Penix’s day ended with 19 completions on 32 attempts for 240 yards and one touchdown, along with eight rushing yards on two carries. Tagovailoa’s line was much shorter: 34 passing yards and one interception.
Later reports said Penix had suffered a rib injury, putting his status in question. Even with the quarterback issue hanging over the finish, Atlanta couldn’t close it out and fell 30-23.
Baltimore did the job without Lamar Jackson, leaning on Tyler Huntley to steer the offense and Derrick Henry to provide important help. The win moved the Ravens to 4-1, their best start through five games in five years, and gave them a one-game edge at the top of the AFC North.
For Atlanta, the loss dropped the Falcons to 2-3. The offense had moments, but Penix’s late injury and Tagovailoa’s interception during overtime were the story as the night slipped away. The bigger concern now is Penix’s rib injury and whether he’ll be available next week.
In Other News...
Falcons Let A Winnable SNF Game Slip Away In Painful Fashion
Sunday night had the feel of a game Atlanta could and should have controlled, until Baltimore kept hanging around long enough to turn it into an overtime escape. Tyler Huntley, filling in at quarterback, guided the Ravens through a 30-23 win with a late rally that stunned the Falcons and wiped out what had been a winnable prime-time stage. Derrick Henry added 102 rushing yards, while Huntley was efficient throwing the ball, completing 24 of 32 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns.
The Falcons offense was already trying to close out the night when Michael Penix Jr. exited late in the fourth quarter with a rib injury, a shift that changed the feel of the final minutes and left Atlanta searching for answers. Baltimore then finished the job after Tua Tagovailoa took over in overtime, and the game slipped away in the kind of painful fashion that makes a loss linger well beyond the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Penix Injury Suddenly Looms Over Falcons After Crushing Loss
A rib injury turned a wild afternoon into a much bigger concern for Atlanta, with Michael Penix leaving against the Ravens and briefly trying to tough it out late in regulation before the discomfort sent him back to the sideline. The Falcons turned to Tua Tagovailoa in overtime, but his interception helped close the door on a game that already felt like it had slipped away, adding a painful finish to a loss that carried a lot more than one result in the standings.
Penix is set to get further testing, and even with the added uncertainty, the early sense is that Atlanta may not be bracing for a long absence. The quarterback said he expects to be ready for next weeks matchup with the Bears, which would be a welcome outcome for a team suddenly watching its most important position much more closely than it wanted to after a crushing defeat. [Read more 🡒]
Jessie Bates Gave Falcons Fans The Prime-Time Spark They Wanted
The Falcons got the kind of early defensive jolt that can change the feel of a prime-time game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with Jeff Ulbrichs unit making its presence known against Baltimore on Sunday night. Atlantas defense had already shown it could make life uncomfortable for the Ravens, which were adjusting to life without Lamar Jackson and turning to Tyler Huntley at quarterback.
Jessie Bates then delivered the moment that really lit up the building, jumping on a Mark Andrews fumble and taking it back for a touchdown. It was the sort of splash play Falcons fans were hoping for under the lights, the kind that can swing momentum in an instant and give the home crowd something to hang onto as the night unfolded. [Read more 🡒]