During a heated joint-practice squabble between the Falcons and Titans, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. found himself at the base of a scrum.
Atlanta Falcons Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Involved in Scuffle with Tennessee Titans
During a joint practice with the Tennessee Titans, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. found himself at the centre of a physical altercation. The incident occurred after Penix connected with Ray-Ray McCloud III for a long touchdown pass, which seemed to provoke some heated words between the two teams[1][2][3].
Penix, who was celebrating and responding to the Titans' players, was eventually thrown to the ground and ended up at the bottom of a pile of players[3]. However, his teammates quickly came to his aid, and he was uninjured and continued playing afterward[1][2][5].
The Falcons' quarterback coach, D.J. Williams, was not pleased to see Penix in such a situation, finding it revealing to see how his teammates rose to his defence[6]. Raheem Morris, the Falcons' coach, had commended players for competing without fights in the first joint practice the previous day[10].
Meanwhile, the Titans were determined to show more fire in the second joint practice, having been critical of their inability to match the intensity of the Falcons' players in Wednesday's first practice[9].
In other news, the Titans claimed linebacker Brian Asamoah II off waivers from Minnesota and waived linebacker Otis Reese IV to make room[8]. Asamoah II, the No. 66 pick overall in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, played in 46 games with the Minnesota Vikings[11].
Backup Kirk Cousins may also be held out from the second preseason game, although no official announcement has been made[4].
The Falcons, on the other hand, have decided to sit out Penix Jr. for the second preseason game[7]. Rookie starter Cam Ward played two series against the Buccaneers in the preseason opener and was encouraged by the response to the disappointing Tuesday practice[4].
Dee Alford, the Falcons' safety, picked off Cam Ward during Wednesday's practice[12]. The Titans are expected to field the same players who played in their 29-7 loss against Tampa Bay in last week's preseason opener.
[1] - Atlanta Falcons News [2] - ESPN: Falcons [3] - NFL.com [4] - CBS Sports: Falcons [5] - Falcons Wire [6] - USA Today: Falcons [7] - Pro Football Talk [8] - Titans Wire [9] - Titans Online [10] - Titans Insider [11] - Pro Football Focus: Asamoah [12] - Falcons Wire
