FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Before Michael Penix Jr. was a professional quarterback, he was a Little League running back in his early football-playing days in Dade City, Florida. He craved the contact. Relished it. Looked for it at every turn. At this point in his career, though, he isn't in a position to crave that contact any longer, because if he's on the ground? Something has gone wrong.

In Wednesday's second joint practice with the Tennessee Titans, Penix found himself taking on the full brunt of Tennessee's wrath in a scuffle between the first-team Atlanta offense and the first-team Tennessee defense after Penix connected on a deep ball to Ray-Ray McCloud for a touchdown in the first 11-on-11 period on the day.

Falcons quarterback — by his own admission — said he had some parting words t

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