Week 8, 3 down and 3 down: No silver lining from the Monsoon Bowl

The Atlanta Falcons played the role of Artax from The Neverending Story, and like Atreyu, Falcons fans’ cries and pleas went unanswered as they watched their team slowly drown in the swamp. There is no up this week; everyone sank in the pit. Here’s the Week 8, 3 down and 3 down.

3 down

Michael Penix Jr.

This is what the worst version of Penix looks like. The slow starts have been there all season, but the turnovers have not. He’s a rhythm passer, but that’s a two-way street; once he gets off beat, he stays there. When he finds his groove, he is one of the more efficient passers out there.

Yes, the game plan was poor and so was the weather, but that doesn’t mean you carelessly throw off your…