After 24 hours of speculation about whether or not Kirk Cousins should remain the starter in Atlanta, the coaching staff have finally made their decision. Kirk Cousins is heading to the bench, and it is officially time for Michael Penix Jr. Coach Raheem Morris made the announcement on Dec. 17.
“After review, we have made the decision Michael Penix Jr. will be the Atlanta Falcons’ starting quarterback moving forward,” Morris said. “This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”
This decision comes after an ugly win on “Monday Night Football” over the Oakland Raiders. The Falcons were able to pull out the 15-9 win, but fans were left underwhelmed with the play of Cousins. Before the Dec. 16 game, Cousins and the Falcons had lost four straight games, and Cousins had thrown eight interceptions with no touchdowns. His play against the Raiders didn’t help his case, either, as he only threw for 112 yards, one touchdown and another interception. After watching the video, it looks like the Falcons organization has had enough and switched to the rookie — and rightfully so.
Michael Penix Jr. was the seventh overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, and the pick shocked not only Atlanta fans but the world because the Falcons had just signed Cousins to a four-year $180 million deal a few weeks ago. The Falcons’ front office was prophetic in the pick and made the right choice as Cousins continued to crash and burn. With three games left in the season, the Falcons are hoping Penix can put out the fire that Cousins started.
Atlanta fans should be ecstatic that Penix Jr. will finally get his shot; he was one of the best QBs in college football last year. He led Washington to a near-undefeated season and the National Championship. They would go on to lose to Michigan in the championship game, but Penix Jr. more than left his mark; his Heisman finalist status cemented that.
During his two seasons at Washington, Penix passed for 9,544 yards, 67 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, proving that the arm talent is there. In the NFL, he’s only played sparingly so far. He’s appeared briefly in two games this season, completing three of five pass attempts for 38 yards. We will get to see a full game of him on Dec. 22 against the New York Giants.
