Michael Penix Jr. is expected to play a lot in the Atlanta Falcons’ first preseason games. If he doesn’t do well, though, it could be a problem for the team.
Coach Raheem Morris said we should expect to see a lot of Penix and not much of Kirk Cousins.
Cousins is 35 and recovering from his first major injury, so it’s understandable why the Falcons are being careful with him. They drafted Penix in the first round, hoping he’d perform well. But if he fails, Atlanta might face criticism again.
Morris told Terrin Waack of AtlantaFalcons.com, “We haven’t really talked about playing time, but you’ll get a good look at Michael. You won’t see nearly as much of Kirk, if any.”
Obviously, this game won’t be overly complex on either side.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousin playing Friday in the preseason game: “We haven’t really talked about playing time, but you’ll get a good look at Michael. … You won’t seen nearly as much of Kirk, if any.”
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris on quarterbacks Michael Penix Jr. and Kirk Cousin playing Friday in the preseason game: “We haven’t really talked about playing time, but you’ll get a good look at Michael. … You won’t seen nearly as much of Kirk, if any.”
— Terrin Waack (@TerrinWaack) August 7, 2024
The more Penix plays, the more people will analyze and debate his performance.
It’s always interesting to see how teams perform in their first preseason games. With new players and coaches, like the Falcons have, just getting through without major mistakes can be an achievement.
Penix is seen as the future quarterback for the Falcons. We hope he can boost confidence in their offense while he’s on the field. Cousins has his moment now, but Penix’s time will come soon enough. Let’s hope he shows progress since leaving Washington.
New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson needs to set Penix up for success in this new system. This is Robinson’s first try as an offensive coordinator after joining from Sean McVay’s staff with the Rams last season.
If Penix performs poorly, expect loud reactions from Falcons fans and the NFL community.