In his first NFL start, Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. brought Atlanta one step closer to the postseason. Here's how he did it.

The Falcons turned the offense over to their rookie quarterback in Week 16, and the stats don’t fully tell the story.

The Falcons have Penix set up well with an excellent run game led by Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, good players to throw to like Drake London and Darnell Mooney (and maybe even Kyle Pitts if he can finally put it all together) and a sound offensive line to keep him upright. That will matter as Penix finds himself as an NFL quarterback.