Everyone with two eyes and a single brain cell could see the Falcons’ offense was limited with Kirk Cousins under center.
The veteran never had a screaming fastball, but he’s clearly lost a couple of miles per hour on whatever he did have, and fans have speculated that those limitations have restricted Atlanta’s offense and capped its potential.
Now, we have confirmation that Cousins’ physical limitations did, in fact, force Zac Robinson to tailor the offense to him. Steve Wyche, a former Falcons beat writer and Atlanta insider, reported as much.
How could things work for the Falcons now that rookie Michael Penix is their starting QB? From The Insiders @nflnetwork pic.twitter.com/m2jEtk3IIK
— Steve Wyche (@wyche89) December 19, 2024
Hell, Robinson himself said as much in the press conference following the news that the Falcons would be benching Kirk Cousins in favor of Michael Penix Jr.
“Sure, yeah, absolutely. Obviously Mike’s got some different skill sets that you can activate. Whatever he’s done at Washington and what we’ve seen on the practice field…we’ll definitely activate that this week,” Robinson said.
The Falcons didn’t have a choice. It was obvious the club was being held back by its quarterback play, and it was a unanimous thought, too.
“We all felt strongly one way about it,” Zac Robinson added about the decision to bench Cousins.
From a physical standpoint, Michael Penix Jr. can do things right now that Kirk Cousins could never do. That will undoubtedly open up things for Robinson. More than just arm talent, Penix’s mobility will enable Atlanta’s offensive coordinator to move the pocket and use play action, which hasn’t been a part of the Falcons offense at all this season with Cousins.
As far as from the neck up, that’s where things get interesting. Cousins has forgotten more football than Penix has learned this season. The Falcons will be able to do some things with the rookie that they couldn’t with the veteran from a physical standpoint, but they’ll have to be careful not to put too much on his plate from a mental aspect. After all, he’s still a rookie making his first ever NFL start.
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Photographer: Nick Wosika/Icon Sportswire
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