Kirk Cousins Benched, and What to Expect From Michael Penix

On Tuesday, the Falcons decided that Kirk Cousins would no longer be their starting quarterback, and rookie Michael Penix will be taking over.

This was not a move focused on getting Penix experience and kick-starting his development. With the Falcons at 7-7 and one game back of the Buccaneers for the division lead, this was a move intended to give them the best chance to win now.

That tells you just how much Cousins has been struggling of late. Look at how big the drop-off has been during his last 5 games compared to his first 9:

Is Cousins playing injured? Does he not trust his recovered Achilles enough to move the way he needs to? Is that impacting his decision making? All of these options are possible.

Perhaps his diminished ability to move in or out of the pocket and drive the ball downfield has just caught up to him, with opposing defenses finding the passing game more predictable.

Either way, the results haven’t been good. So the Falcons decided to make the change to Penix, who might have been the best intermediate/deep-ball thrower in this year’s draft. He’ll add that element to the passing game, and that just might be enough to help Atlanta sneak into the playoffs. If it isn’t, at least he’ll get some in-game NFL experience heading into year 2.

Below is my breakdown of Penix from before the draft last spring. Read on to see what to expect from the Falcons’ new QB.

Michael Penix 2024 NFL Draft Breakdown

There are certainly questions when it comes to Michael Penix, from his injury history to his unique delivery. But man can he throw the ball at the intermediate-to-deep levels:

If he sees single coverage on the outside, he’s going to take it, and he’s going to put the ball in a place where only his man can get it:

There is a lot that goes into playing the quarterback position, which we’ll dive into below. But when you can consistently put the ball in a precise spot while attacking downfield, that can cover up for flaws elsewhere.