The Atlanta Falcons have taken over first place in an NFC South race that is going to come down to the wire in the final two weeks of the regular season.
However, the quarterback who helped beat the New York Giants on Sunday wasn’t Kirk Cousins – the $180 million man they signed to a four-year deal this offseason.
It was Michael Penix Jr., the rookie first-round pick. Many were shocked when the Falcons called his name because they had just signed the veteran Cousins a month ago.
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Cousins’ play, though, had been faltering of late, and one NFL Hall of Famer was blunt with his assessment of him this year after Penix looked good in his first NFL start.
"Consistently mediocre. That’s what Kirk has been this year," Giants great Michael Strahan said, via the Daily Mail. "Whenever you’re a great player in your mind, you’re still that. But sometimes, your skill level diminishes, and it drops.
"You don’t know when it’s going to happen, it can happen at any point in the season. I think for Kirk Cousins, it happened now."
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The Falcons were 7-7 under Cousins, but head coach Raheem Morris made a change after Atlanta’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders saw more maligned offensive drives just like the ones in recent weeks with Cousins under center.
But the 36-year-old, who is coming off a torn Achilles from the 2023 season with the Minnesota Vikings, was a part of four straight losses before that 15-9 win over the Raiders. In that span, Cousins didn’t throw a single touchdown and had eight interceptions.
So, after throwing just one touchdown and yet another interception, Morris made the switch despite the Falcons being in such a tight playoff race.
Penix’s debut saw no touchdown passes, but he was quick with his decision-making and on time with the ball to his receivers as he threw for 202 yards on 18-of-27 through the air. He also had an interception on his stat sheet, though tight end Kyle Pitts juggled a pass near the goal line that was ultimately picked off.
With Penix taking the reins moving forward, Strahan believes that Cousins must play the mentor role.
"Keep him around, let him teach Michael Penix the intricacies of the game," Strahan said. "It’s good to have that veteran influence, but I think Kirk may have to just humble himself to understand that’s his role right now."
There have been reports the Falcons could cut Cousins before March to avoid the remaining years on his contract, though $100 million was guaranteed at signing earlier this year.
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