While the noise grows loud in Atlanta for the Michael Penix Jr. era to begin right away, it doesn’t make perfect sense for the Falcons to bench Kirk Cousins with the Vikings looming this Sunday.
The most obvious reason is Brian Flores and Minnesota’s defense, which presents an incredibly difficult challenge for an Atlanta offense that has failed to record a passing touchdown in three games.
The Vikings’ 39 sacks rank fourth in the league, and Flores’ blitz-heavy scheme is going to be difficult for Cousins to beat, let alone a rookie making his first NFL start. In fact, nobody blitzes more than the Vikings. That’s a recipe for disaster to throw Penix into that fire.
Flores has talent at all levels, including Jonathan Greenard, Andre Van Ginkel, Pat Jones, Stephon Gilmore, and Harrison Smith. But that’s not even the entire story of how difficult it’s going to be. U.S. Bank is one of the louder stadiums in the NFL, and Vikings fans are sure to be fired up for Kirk Cousins’ return to Minnesota.
All of this is to say that the time to transition to Michael Penix Jr. could be coming soon, but it’s not now. However, a fourth consecutive loss with Cousins being a primary catalyst, and the Falcons might have to think long and hard about benching the veteran in favor of the rookie.
The club would officially not control their own destiny if they lose and the Buccaneers beat the Raiders at home; it could mark the end of a very short Kirk Cousins era in Atlanta, which would be quite poetic.
Cousins was thought by many to be the top signal caller on the free agent market, but only two clubs were interested — the Falcons and Vikings. Eventually, money won out.
Arthur Blank gave Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris the nod to not only pursue Cousins but sign him at all costs. The result? A four-year, $180 million deal with $90 million guaranteed. It didn’t come without scrutiny, though.
It was the Falcons’ own doing when they drafted Michael Penix about a month after signing Kirk Cousins, bringing on a mountain of criticism. Now, there’s a chance the Vikings ironically end the Cousins era in Atlanta. I’m sure noted Vikings superfan Mike Florio would be ecstatic for that scenario to play out.
On the flip side, Kirk Cousins could save his job for quite sometime with a win over his former team, silencing all of the criticism around his recent play. The Falcons have a very favorable schedule down the stretch, and a win over the Vikings would likely cement his spot as the team’s starting quarterback for not only the remainder of the season, but possibly next year as well.
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Photographer: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire
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