Penix Jr. Praised by Falcons HC for Injury Rehab, 'He Works Like a Crazy Man to Get His Body Right'

Michael Penix Jr. was excellent during Sunday's 29-20 win over the previously unbeaten San Francisco 49ers, throwing for 213 yards and three scores.

The return of Penix has helped Atlanta turn its season around following an 0-2 start, and head coach Kevin Stefanski has been impressed with how the young quarterback tackled his recovery process after last season's torn ACL.

"I'll tell you, he's a very, very diligent person," he told Albert Breer of SI.com. "And even going back to the spring, where he's not taking team reps, he's doing everything in his power to learn the new system. He's doing everything in his power to get his body right. And then we're just following the lead of the medical team, and he does a little bit more here, a little more there. But all the while, working to get ready to play. Now, I didn't know when he was going to get cleared. We didn't know when that time was going to come. But he works like a crazy man to get his body right, to get his mind right."

Penix is 3-2 as the starter this year and one of the losses came in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens. The Falcons have looked like a different team since his return. With the NFC South once again wide open and ripe for the taking, the 3-4 Falcons have a real chance to end an eight-year playoff drought.