Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to get his first career start
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Penix season in Atlanta came earlier than anyone expected. Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Surprising and shocking. Those two words have followed the Atlanta Falcons all week after they announced their decision to bench their $180 million quarterback in favor of a rookie.
Why it matters: The move could signal the end of Kirk Cousins' short and expensive run in a Falcons uniform.
The intrigue: New head coach Raheem Morris admitted after he was hired in January that there may not have even been a job opening in Atlanta if the team had seen better quarterback play the last two seasons.
Yes, but: As fate would have it, he found himself in a similar position as former head coach Arthur Smith: a struggling quarterback late in the season, a playoff berth on the line and the need to make a switch to salvage the season.
How we got here: To be fair, Cousins left Morris no choice. After a simmering 6-3 start, the Falcons plummeted losing four straight before an unimpressive win against a two-win Raiders team to pull their record to 7-7.
- They lost the division lead in the process and now need to win out and hope Tampa loses at least one game to get in the playoffs.
By the numbers: Over the most recent five game stretch, Cousins has thrown nine interceptions to just one touchdown.
- He leads the NFL in interceptions with 16 and fumbles with 13.
What's next: Now the franchise turn the keys over to rookie Michael Penix Jr. The University of Washington product took his team to the College Football Playoff National Championship game last year and has an absolute cannon for an arm.
- He's also much more mobile than the 36-year-old Cousins who's coming off a major achilles injury.
What we're watching: Fortunately for Penix his first start will come at home and against one of the worst teams in the NFL: the New York Giants.
- Still, temper your expectations. Penix is the future. He was never expected to take the reins this season and he's going to make mistakes.
- He was also limited in preseason action playing in just one game and in some mop up duty in blowouts during the regular season.
The bottom line: It's not fair to expect Penix to immediately right the ship and lead this team to the playoffs.
- That's the nature of the NFL and as long as he doesn't turn the ball over as much as Cousins, that's progress.