Falcons’ Zac Robinson, Michael Penix Jr. on same page on the sideline

“Yeah, it was good,” Penix said Thursday. “It was great. I feel like the communication was there, just being able to have him (at field level)...So, whenever we came off the field, just go straight to him and talk to him about what we’re seeing. He’d talk to us about what he’s seeing and what we look forward to calling throughout the game. So, I feel like it’s definitely good. I do feel like it helped us.”

There was one major problem.

“I got smoked,” said Robinson about getting knocked over. “My awareness level needs to pick up for sure.”

The defense was on the field and Robinson was talking on the headsets.

“I kind of looked over, and Billy Bowman is, of course, he’s scrapping with one of their players,” Robinson said. “The next thing I know I get completely flipped over.”

Other than staying out of the way, things went well.

“I thought it was good,” Robinson said. “The communication from last year being up in the booth and the last three games, we’ve always been able to communicate well as a staff. But (going) down there, being with the guys, feeling their energy throughout the game, I thought it was all positive.”

Robinson wished that he’d gone down to the field sooner.

“The only thing I thought about afterward was man, kicking myself because maybe we should have started the season down there,” Robinson said. “Glad we kind of addressed it when we did. It was fun being down there with the guys.

“It’s obviously a different vantage point, but I was used to that in L.A. (when he was on the Rams’ staff). I was down on the field for five years. It felt very similar to those (years). I thought it was positive. We’ll keep (going) in that direction.”

The Falcons could have worked this out during the exhibition season, but they elected not to play the starters while trying to mitigate injuries.

“He’s a little (upset) that he didn’t start down there at the beginning of the season,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “I think if he had his druthers over again, he’d start down at the beginning of the season and be able to go through some of those things.”

Morris has been supportive of Penix since he named him the starter late last season. However, his respect grew after the way Penix handled his poor showing earlier this season against the Panthers on Sept. 21.

“That is the telltale sign for quarterbacks: how you respond after it doesn’t go your way,” Morris said. “It’s not absolutely what you wanted it to look like in the game. You have to respond and play better.”

Penix responded with a good week of practice heading into the Washington game.

“I loved his verbal response to his team,” Morris said. “I loved his response in the game. I loved his response after, of knowing it’s a process. I loved how he reacted to the criticism.”

The team’s formations were attacked and stats were used to be critical of the offensive attack after they were shut out by the Panthers.

“He handled it the right way,” Morris said. “I was proud of him.”

Penix won over the veterans with his approach.

“I remember training camp last year because, I know he’s first-rounder, but like when you got a rookie quarterback in training camp, and especially, we go ones versus twos most days,” linebacker Kaden Elliss said. “I was like, yes, I’m about to get my hands on a bunch of interceptions. I’m about to make a bunch of new plays.”

Elliss was disappointed he didn’t get one interception all of training camp.

“He just didn’t do ill-advised things, but he still let his arm talent show every single day,” Elliss said. “There are a lot of guys with amazing arm talent that might be on a couch, that aren’t starting in the NFL, that can throw it. But can you blend letting the arm talent shine while also playing smart?”

The Falcons believe Penix can do both.

“I’m so glad he’s our quarterback,” Elliss said. “I know he can take us as far as we want to go.”