On the heels of snapping a four-game losing streak, the Falcons have decided to make a move at quarterback. Rookie hurler Michael Penix Jr. is slated for his first career start when the Falcons take on the New York Giants this Sunday. It’s not too often you see a quarterback pulled after a win, but Kirk Cousins’ recent play was troublesome. The Falcons are hoping the late switch can ignite a run for a team still in the postseason hunt.
Penix Jr. was the No. 8 pick in last April’s NFL Draft following a stellar two-year run at the University of Washington. The pick was surprising given that the team had recently inked Cousins to a massive free-agent deal one month before the NFL Draft. However, Atlanta had grown enamored with Penix Jr. during the draft process and felt the opportunity to snag a future franchise signal-caller was too good to pass up.
With Cousins, a month of awful play led to his benching. During Atlanta’s four-game losing streak, Cousins threw zero touchdowns and eight interceptions. The Week 14 win over the 2-12 Las Vegas Raiders was the team’s first win since Nov. 3. In that game, it seemed like the coaching staff had lost trust in their starting passer. Cousins threw the ball just 17 times (for 112 yards) and the run game was leaned upon heavily.
Cousins’ season unraveling in this manner is exactly why the Falcons opted to take Penix Jr. in the first place. There was always a chance for the signing to go south. Cousins is 36 years old and coming off an Achilles tear. He was never mobile to begin with.
Grabbing Penix Jr. when they did gave them another bite at the apple. Quarterback play is the most important ingredient in the NFL, and the Falcons haven’t had a semblance of it since Matt Ryan left the team three years ago.
The Falcons saw their lead in the NFC South evaporate despite already having two wins over the first-place Bucs earlier in the year. They’re hoping that Penix Jr. can give them a spark for the final three games. At the very least, he’s got a great arm and is a quick processor. Expect the Falcons to use a lot of quick passes to the boundaries while mixing in the occasional deep shot.
The schedule is set up well for the rookie. He has two home matchups against the 2-12 New York Giants and 3-11 Carolina Panthers. Those favorable games are sandwiched around a pivotal Week 17 showdown against the Wild Card hopeful Washington Commanders. We could see two rookie QBs battling for a playoff spot when Penix Jr.’s Falcons take on Jayden Daniels’ Commanders.
