So far, just about every analysis of the Atlanta Falcons‘ quarterback competition has favored the side of Tua Tagovailoa. It’s understandable on several levels. For one thing, Michael Penix Jr. is still recovering from his third career ACL tear.
Tagovailoa also has the advantage when it comes to experience and accuracy. That and getting every 11-on-11 rep so far this offseason should put him in the lead, regardless of what the Falcons’ coaching staff has to say about it.
That said, we can’t ignore one very important fact in this competition. When it comes to pure arm strength, Penix has a far more powerful cannon attached to his left shoulder than Tagovailoa. Zachary Pereles at CBS Sports breaks it down:
“The Falcons are cornering the market on lefty quarterbacks, but beyond that, the similarities between Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. are relatively few and far between. Tagovailoa is accurate in the short and intermediate game; Penix is more erratic but has a major arm strength advantage. Unfortunately, their biggest similarity might be their lengthy injury histories.”
We haven’t seen Penix throwing the ball at his best yet in the NFL, so Falcons fans might need a reminder. Here’s some highlights from Penix’s time with Washington when he was a strong Heisman candidate.
There’s no question that Penix has greater range and can put a lot more zip on his passes than Tua can. The former Huskies standout passed for over 9,500 yards and 67 touchdowns during his final two collegiate seasons.
However, there’s a whole lot more to playing quarterback at this level than the ability to throw a fastball or hit a receiver deep down field in stride. Penix still needs to work on making the easy throws in order to improve his overall game.
All eyes will be on the quarterback competition when the Falcons report for training camp in late July.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons QB competition: Penix has arm strength advantage
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