FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was visibly upset during his news conference Sunday after the team's 31-25 overtime loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Berlin, Germany.
Penix, a second-year player, has discussed several times this season about how he is extremely hard on himself and points the blame inward with regards to the team's offensive issues.
Sunday felt like a new level of that. The Falcons have lost four straight and, at 3-6, are barely hanging on to potential playoff contention. Penix had perhaps his worst game yet in 11 career starts: 12-of-28 passing for 177 yards with a touchdown.
Falcons coach Raheem Morris said he felt it was incumbent on him to talk with Penix about his emotions after the game.
"Those are things you like to talk to him [about]," Morris said Wednesday. "And it provides a little bit of relief for him, letting him know it's OK to be vulnerable in that moment, but at the same time don't be so disgruntled and hard on yourself that you blame yourself for everything and it's like, it is the reason why after those tough press conferences, it is my job to go protect him."
Penix said the conversation was one he needed and appreciated.
"We did have that conversation, and it did help to hear that from him," Penix said. "Knowing that everybody in the building, they understand ... what's going on and why we can't be what we want to be," Penix said. "So ... Raheem gave me that perspective and just told me just give myself some grace and not be so hard on myself."
Morris said after the game that Penix "played well." The stats didn't necessarily back that up -- and added to those were three sacks and a lost fumble.
But Morris clarified Wednesday that Penix is doing what is being asked of him for the most part and the rest of the team has not exactly picked him up when struggles happen.
"He's doing a really good job as a young football player in this league, especially a quarterback," Morris said.
Morris said Penix's postgame news conference was "the first time he's actually got a chance to show you guys some real vulnerability."
"He's always accountable," Morris said. "He does all those things, but I tell him all the time it's our job to help him, as well, from the other player standpoint, from the coaches' standpoint, from all of us."
If the loss in Berlin wasn't Penix's roughest, then in it was undoubtedly Week 3 when the Falcons lost to the Carolina Panthers, 30-0, in Charlotte. The Falcons host the Panthers on Sunday and have a chance to at least somewhat erase the disastrous memories from that game earlier this season.
"I feel like for them, they probably feel they had success in that game, so maybe they do show some of the same things that they did in that game," Penix said. "But we'll be ready for every look and we'll definitely make it a better game than what we did last time."
For the season, Penix has completed 58.8% of his passes for 1,807 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions. His 53.4 QBR sits at 19th in the league through Week 10.
Penix has played well this season in games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders and New England Patriots. But inconsistency has been a real issue. Penix also hasn't always gotten the best support from a banged-up offensive line and thin receiving corps.
He Penix does have running back Bijan Robinson and wide receiver Drake London to lean on as star players. Penix is the quarterback, though. And that's the position that is most in the spotlight.
"Knowing how difficult this game is, knowing the immense pressure that goes into that position, being the franchise quarterback, all the different expectations that come with young quarterbacks [is difficult]," offensive coordinator Zac Robinson said. "I mean, we can obviously jump on these guys super early in their career and not even give them a chance to develop. Obviously, there are stories across the league with that happening.
"So, he's hard on himself. He is because he's so competitive, he wants to do right. He's a perfectionist in every way -- every throw, every protection adjustment, everything he does. And so that's the biggest message and that's really for any players: Give yourself some grace."
Penix said he's working on that.
"It don't matter what point of my career I'm in," Penix said. "I know I see a lot of things or people say, 'Oh, [he's] only a certain amount of games in,' but at the end of the day, I got to be my best for this team and it is going to come out each and every day. I feel like I'm getting better each and every week. I feel like I'm getting better, and it'll come around. We'll figure it out."