Tonight, the Bucs have a primetime matchup against the Dallas Cowboys, but some of the team will be watching the Atlanta Falcons game and rooting for a rival.
Earlier this week, the Falcons announced that Michael Penix Jr., the No. 8 pick in this year’s NFL Draft, will start his first game at quarterback today against the 2-12 New York Giants.
After the announcement, two of his former college teammates, tight end Devin Culp and wide receiver Jalen McMillan, who are now playing for Tampa, reacted to the news.
“I wish I could go to the game,” McMillan said. “I’m excited for him. We’re all praying for him; God’s gonna be behind him. We’re all gonna watch the show.”
Washington Brotherhood Over Bucs & Falcons Rivalry
Washington WR Jalen McMillan – Photo by: USA Today
Heading into Week 16’s slate of games, the Bucs are first in the NFC South with an 8-6 record, but with the Atlanta Falcons at 7-7, the NFC South is still up for grabs.
This weekend, though, rookies Jalen McMillan and Devin Culp will be cheering for the Falcons’ new starting quarterback because of the bond they formed while playing at Washington.
“When he first got to campus, I went out of my way to hang out,” Culp recalled.” “One random day after a winter workout or something, we went to my house and down to Magnuson Park and chilled by the lake, just chopping it up.”
During that hangout, Culp realized how seriously Penix took Washington football despite having just transferred from Indiana.
“He said, ‘Man, I’ve already watched all the film on these teams from all the games you played last year. And I know that we can beat everybody on our schedule.’ I knew right off the bat, from us having that initial conversation, that he was a driven guy, you know, who had big goals and aspirations for not only himself but our team,” Culp said before reminiscing over the success they shared at Washington. “Obviously, y’all saw (the aspirations) all come to fruition over the last couple of years at UW with him there. He’s a great guy, great leader, great quarterback.”
Penix was dominant during his two seasons as a Husky. He finished top eight in the Heisman Trophy race both seasons and asserted himself as a top 10 pick during his final year when he threw for 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Those impressive numbers would help win him the Maxwell Award and land him second place in the Heisman race as he led Washinton to the National Championship.
While playing with Culp and McMillan, Penix threw them 17 touchdowns and a combined 2,131 receiving yards. Their chemistry didn’t die once they made it to the NFL. Instead, they have all kept in touch through Washington group chats.
“We always keep in touch and talk,” McMillan said before adding that the group chat would go crazy if he won his first start.
Culp sounded more conflicted when talking about watching Penix in the Falcons game.
“From a competitive standpoint, we don’t want him to win,” Culp said of his mentality as a Buc. “Outside of that, our bond, friendship, and brotherhood that we all created at UW, that’s something that’s gonna last forever. I don’t think anything will ever get in between that. It’s still all love, always.”
Penix’s Uphill Battle to Dethrone the Bucs
There’s no easy way to bring in a rookie quarterback, but one could imagine that fighting to take the No. 1 seed from the Bucs adds more pressure onto Michael Penix Jr.’s first start than for most.
Tampa Bay is red hot, riding a four-game winning streak; meanwhile, Atlanta won their first game in a month last week when they defeated the (2-12) Las Vegas Raiders by a score of 15-9 in an ugly game.
One might casually assume that things can’t get worse for the Falcons, given their recent struggles, but Penix’s arm could add another struggle for this squad, even if he is better than Kirk Cousins at this point in the season, simply due to the fact that he’s left-handed.
“You get used to it after a little bit, but it is different,” Culp said from his experiences catching passes from the left-handed passer. “When you’re tracking the ball with your eyes, the way the ball rotates and spins is opposite of what you’re usually used to because most quarterbacks are right-handed, so when you catch it from a lefty, you just got to get used to that other backspin. Tracking is just a little tricky, a little different.”
With such a small margin for error, how the receivers adjust to tracking the ball could be the difference between remaining in the hunt for a divisional crown against the Bucs or Atlanta missing the playoffs for the seventh season in a row.
However, his former teammates remain confident that he’ll impress with this opportunity.
“He’s a leader; he’s gonna take over that field and just be a field general. I saw it for two years straight,” McMillan predicted. “He’s ready for this moment. I’m expecting him to be great, and I wish him the very best.”
Sentiments that Culp reiterated.
“His preparation is second to none; he’s gonna be ready, and I know he’ll have those boys ready to go,” Culp stated. “Mike’s a killer.”
