Michael Penix Jr. returned to the Falcons’ starting lineup and excelled as the team’s offense soared past the Green Bay Packers in Week 3.

Penix’s return didn’t start how he imagined, as he threw an interception on the fourth offensive play. What could have been a long night turned into a breath of fresh air. Penix missed the first two games after recovering from a torn ACL he suffered during Week 11 of the 2025 season. With Cooper Rush starting at quarterback, the Falcons scored only 16 points and lost both games. 

The Falcons would win their Thursday Night Football game 35-14 in Lambeau, with Penix completing 18 of 25 passes for 256 yards and a touchdown. The two biggest stars were wide receiver Drake London, who recorded nine catches for 194 yards, and running back Bijan Robinson, who recorded 213 total yards and two touchdowns.

 “I knew we had a long game ahead of us, so I just continue to keep my head down, continue to keep working and doing what I can to help this team win a football game,” Penix said of his response to the interception. 

Penix-London duo brings the best of both players. In games played together, London averages 104.3 receiving yards per game, and in his last seven games with Penix, London has been targeted 11 times per game and averaged 120.7 receiving yards.

“He’s the definition of resiliency,” London said. 

Penix added that it is a “long season” and that the Falcons were “far from perfect” after their victory. While the Falcons are 1-2, the offense seems to have opened up and is currently tied for first place in the NFC South, the Falcons hope to carry this momentum and finish with a winning record for the first time since 2017.

Atlanta Falcons backup quarterback Kirk Cousins replaced starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. on Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

Cousins replaced Penix Jr. in the fourth quarter with 10:44 left on the clock.

The Falcons were down 27-0 when Cousins replaced Penix Jr., making this his first appearance of the season.

Cousins was 5-of-7 for 29 yards after entering the game. He accumulated a total of 29 yards.

Penix Jr. had 18-of-36 for 172 yards with two interceptions. He made 18 complete attempts out of 36, accumulating 172 yards.

Head coach Raheem Morris made it clear that there is competition between Cousins and Penix Jr.

Morris said that he pulled Penix Jr. because the game was “out of hand” and he needed to “keep our guys out of harm’s way.”

The Falcons lost 30-0 anyway.

The Falcons’ next game is scheduled for Sunday against the Washington Commanders. The Falcons announced that Penix Jr. will remain as their starter.

The Atlanta Falcons announced Tuesday that rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. would start the team’s next game against the New York Giants. That news comes in the wake of a four-game losing skid followed by a six-point win over the struggling Raiders in which Kirk Cousins tossed just one touchdown – and nine interceptions.

Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract with the Falcons this past offseason. With the starting position seemingly filled for the mid-term, it was the shock of the NFL Draft when the team took Penix with the eighth pick.

Penix had a breakout year in the 2023-24 college football season, leading the Washington Huskies to the national championship game with 4,903 yards and 36 touchdowns. Much concern about the pick, however, stemmed from his age – Penix is now 24 years old – and the injuries that kept him sidelined for the beginning of his college football career.

Now, he’ll start a Week 16 NFL game for a fringe playoff contender.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris made the call after the team’s narrow win over the Raiders in which Cousins attempted just 17 passes. Later, speaking to reporters, he cited Cousins’ turnovers – he leads the NFL in both interceptions (16) and fumbles (12, tied with Baker Mayfield).

“It’s pro football, and there’s a standard that I have for myself, that the team has for me, that, unfortunately, I wasn’t playing up to that standard consistently enough,” Cousins said, discussing his benching. “And so, it is what it is, and you roll with it and now you still get ready – ‘one play away’ kind of a thing – and support [Penix] and just try to help our team be able to find a way to win these last three to get in the playoffs, and that’s what it’s all about.”

Morris said that Cousins told him he would be the “best No. 2 quarterback in the National Football League.”

Penix voiced his own excitement to start, but made sure to credit Cousins with his mentorship and leadership of the team. “The way he processes, the way he speaks to the team – in meetings, on the field – you know, just the command he has…I was in the huddle today and walk-throughs, and I just remembered some of the stuff he did and the way he said it, you know, because I – I look up to Kirk.”

The Falcons are 7-7 and in second place in the NFC South, behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A hot start has made sure that they’ve stayed on the fringes of the playoff bubble despite their recent struggles.

In Week 16, though, time is running out. All the Falcons can do is cross their fingers and hope that their first-round gamble worked out.

The New York Giants will start quarterback Drew Lock in Week 16 against the Atlanta Falcons. It will be their fifth quarterback change since releasing Daniel Jones after their Week 11 bye.

In the past month, New York has alternated between Lock and Tommy DeVito, but neither passer has managed to stay healthy for two games in a row. DeVito sustained an arm injury and more recently a concussion, while Lock is returning from a Week 14 foot injury. If both players become unavailable in the near future, Tim Boyle would have to step back in, a move that doomed the team to a 35-14 beating against the Ravens last weekend.

With a 2-12 record and three games remaining, the Giants are tied for dead last in the entire NFL. With a premium draft pick in next year’s draft, New York is almost certain to draft a quarterback, widely speculated to be either Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward. With an army of teams plummeting through the standings late in the season, the Giants may have to keep losing to ensure an early pick, but that hasn’t been an issue to this point.

Even with Jones returning from injury at the start of the 2024 season, very few people expected anything from the Giants. They’ve lived up to every expectation in this context, never proving to be a serious competitor at any point. Playmakers like Malik Nabers and Tyrone Tracy have proved themselves as young talents, but they’ve struggled to produce consistently as the team shuffles between quarterbacks.

As December wears on, New York must simply march to its certain end, and hopefully a brighter future. That future may or may not include head coach Brian Daboll, who led the team to the playoffs in 2022 before amassing a dreadful 8-23 record over the last two seasons. It’s hard to blame the upstart head coach for the team’s passing-related struggles, but it may be hard to justify his stay as the team starts anew in 2025.

In Week 16, this doomed Giants team will face the Falcons, who haven’t managed to do much better this year despite much higher expectations. New York will face rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in his first NFL start, replacing Kirk Cousins well ahead of schedule. His performance could be educational for the Giants in a number of ways, potentially providing a hopeful message or stark warning for betting on young passers.

Most analysts and fans couldn’t imagine Atlanta taking a quarterback in the first round, let alone a prospect that most mock projections didn’t have as a top-10 pick. But that is what unfolded on the first day of the draft.

Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. from Washington was the surprise of the draft, being taken by the Falcons in the first round. Penix is coming off a prolific season for the Huskies, throwing for 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns and completing 65.4% of his passes. His team had a surprising postseason run that finished in the national championship, where they fell to the Michigan Wolverines 34-13.

According to ESPN, Cousins was unaware that Atlanta would take a quarterback with the eighth pick. Individuals close to Cousins were frustrated that the front office did not use the high pick to improve other areas on the roster.

New Falcons coach Raheem Morris expressed disappointment with the draft controversy at his post-draft press conference. “I hate for it to be like the story of the draft. I know it will be. That’s just how our world is based and driven,” Morris said. “It’s what people want to see—it’s piqued more interest.”

Although the pick was shocking, considering Cousins is expected to play very well for the team in 2024, there are some concerns about his health. He is coming off a significant injury he sustained in a game with the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 29, a torn Achilles, which ended his season. He also turns 36 in August, so age and recent injury are valid concerns. It could be the reason for the selection of Penix, to ensure that if something were to happen to Cousins again, a viable backup option would be available. 

The Falcons are coming off a 7-10 campaign in which many expected them to win the weak NFC South. With Cousins, wide receiver Drake London, running back Bijan Robinson, and an underrated defense, Atlanta is again expected to take the next step and make the postseason in 2024.

Penix said he had already spoken to Cousins, and both men were moving on from any draft controversies or conspiracies.

“I’m going to keep it just between me and him right now. It was definitely a good conversation,” Penix told reporters on Friday. I’m super excited to work with him, and he said he’s the same with me.”