Despite a 31-23 loss to the Chicago Bears on Sunday, the contest looked like another step forward for former Washington Huskies star quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
After a brief trip to the medical tent early in the game, likely for a check on the rib injury he sustained in a loss to the Baltimore Ravens last week, the Atlanta Falcons' signal caller put together a strong performance. Despite being under pressure all day, which allowed him to complete just 57 percent of his passes, his lowest mark of the year, Penix threw for 225 yards and 3 touchdowns.
"You're never pleased," Penix said of his showing. "There's always work to do; there's always ways to get better. And that's what I'm trying to do each and every day, figure that out. I'm going to go to the drawing
board and see what we did in this game and try to figure out how I can be better for this team to help us win football games."
KP, AGAIN!
— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) October 18, 2026
FOX | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/Cl83Wtixyr
As the game went on, he improved against a tenacious pass rush as Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen sent big blitzes after him throughout the contest. In the second half, he went 8-for-13 with 102 yards and 2 touchdowns against the blitz, according to ESPN.
However, Penix was still taken down for five sacks in the game, three of which came from another former UW star, defensive back Kyler Gordon. In his return from a calf injury, Gordon played just 16 snaps, but hounded Penix on the majority of those reps, forcing a pair of fumbles, one of which the Bears recovered late in the fourth quarter to ice the game.
Next up for Penix and the Falcons, they'll take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, October 25, at 10:00 a.m. PT.
This article originally appeared on Huskies Wire: Penix shows improvement despite pressure in loss to Chicago Bears
