The Carolina Panthers flat-out humbled Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons in their Week 3 clash, keeping Atlanta out of the end zone the entire game. For Penix, it went down as the roughest outing of his young career: Two interceptions, one of them a brutal pick-six, in just his sixth career start.

But head coach Raheem Morris didn’t flinch. He made it clear he trusted Penix to respond, and the QB delivered right on cue. A week later, Penix bounced back with his second 300-yard performance, throwing for a season-high 313 yards with two touchdowns and a pick.

Now, with the Buffalo Bills up next, the Falcons have already started spotlighting his growth, dropping a stat, as the team looks to improve in Week 6. The 25-year-old QB is the only Falcons QB to record multiple 300-yard passing games through his first seven career starts, per the team’s official ‘X’ handle.

In the Week 4 win over the Washington Commanders, Penix completed 20-of-26 passes for 313 yards and 2 TD. Before the Commanders’ game, the QB had not thrown a TD pass to a wideout or a tight end this season. But he changed that narrative as well. In a 34-27 win over Washington, he found Drake London and Kyle Pitts Sr. for a couple of scores.

“I don’t want to sit here and say I showed other people something about me or about this team, but it is all about us, man,” Michael Penix Jr. said. “It is not always going to be perfect, like I said. I feel like I showed myself that I deserve to be here and I belong.”

Before the Commanders’ game, Penix tallied his first 300+ yard game in his rookie season. He completed 21-of-38 passes for 312 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception in a 44-38 loss to the Panthers. Having said that, he’s now expected to put up a strong outing against the Bills next week.

Bills to face Michael Penix Jr. and Co. after their first loss of the season

Drake Maye and the New England Patriots torched Josh Allen and the Bills 23-20 in the Week 5 matchup. With that being said, the Bills suffered their first loss of the season after four straight wins. Allen was efficient, as the reigning MVP completed 22-of-31 passes for 253 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception while also leading the rushing attack with 53 yards on 9 carries. But he failed to walk out of Highmark Stadium with a win.

“It’s good reminder for us of how you really don’t want to play and don’t want to live that type of life,” head coach Sean McDermott said after the game. “And why it’s important we stay on the details, we stay disciplined, and we stay urgent. Our approach, we finish plays and we take care of the football, make good decisions with the ball in our hands. All those things are kind of the foundation of what leads to the results.”

With the Falcons coming after one of their biggest wins, the Bills surely want to bounce back. The reasoning is pretty simple: The Bills lost because they beat themselves more than New England outplayed them. Turnovers (had just one turnover in the first four games but 3 against the Patriots), penalties (11), and red-zone miscues swung the game, and New England cashed in with timely plays (including a 52-yard game-winning field goal).

As for Penix and the Falcons, the question now is whether they can carry that Week 4 momentum forward or if this next game turns into another lesson for them.