The Falcons find themselves in the exact position many said they’d be in before the start of the season — a quarterback controversy. Kirk Cousins has turned in a third consecutive poor performance, and it’s led to calls for Michael Penix Jr.
It’s been a month since Cousins threw a touchdown, and in that time, he’s thrown six interceptions along with four fumbles, leading to three embarrassing losses. It’s dropped the Falcons to .500 and even with the Buccaneers in the NFC South.
Thankfully, Atlanta owns the tiebreaker over Tampa Bay, so they effectively hold a half-game lead over the Bucs. However, the elephant in the room is quite apparent: should the Falcons bench the veteran in favor of the rookie?
Mina Kimes makes a compelling case as to why the transition should happen right now.
“You’re throwing away a season where not only you have a chance to win the division, but you could potentially go farther if you see something with the young quarterback,” Kimes said on ESPN.Â
Here’s the simplest notion I have come up with when it comes to making this incredibly difficult decision.
If you’re the Atlanta Falcons, do you believe you’ll be moving on to Michael Penix Jr in 2025? If yes, then they should make the transition right now. If not, then I can understand why the Falcons would stick with the veteran.
It’s not a dissimilar situation to Arthur Smith sticking with Marcus Mariota too long in 2022 instead of going directly to Desmond Ridder. Of course, there are obvious differences, but the sentiment remains the same.
The Falcons ceiling is quite evident with Cousins. Maybe, they make the postseason, but is anyone convinced they can win a playoff game, let alone make a run in the NFC towards a title?
Kirk Cousins is who he is at this point in his career. He’s been bad more often than he’s been good with the Falcons, and he’s not going to suddenly turn into a quarterback that we haven’t seen for the past decade.
While Michael Penix will undoubtedly make rookie mistakes, Cousins hasn’t been immune to them, especially against the Chargers, in which he threw three of the worst interceptions I’ve ever seen from a 13-year veteran.
Granted, with Brian Flores and the Vikings’ stingy defense looming this week, it might not be the best time to thrust a rookie into the fire, especially given the significance of the return to Minnesota for Cousins. However, another poor performance and a fourth straight loss cannot keep the dogs at bay with the lowly Raiders waiting for the Falcons the following week.
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Photographer: Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire
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