2 hours ago 1

Kirk Cousins replaces Michael Penix with Falcons down 27-0 vs. Panthers

Prior to Week 3, the Atlanta Falcons had yet to receive any calls for backup quarterback Kirk Cousins. That may have turned out to be a good thing for Atlanta.

With the Falcons trailing 27-0, the team turned to Cousins in the final quarter of the contest. Cousins immediately completed five of his first seven passes before failing to complete a fourth down.

The decision to put Cousins in the game came after starter Michael Penix threw his second interception of the contest. Penix was removed from the game after going 18 of 36 for 172 yards. He threw two interceptions and no touchdowns in the contest.

It marked the second straight game in which Penix has failed to put up big numbers. During the team's Week 2 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Penix completed 13 of 21 passes for 135 yards and no turnovers.

It's unclear why Falcons head coach Raheem Morris opted to make the move to Cousins. With the Falcons down big, Morris may have just wanted to get Penix out of the game to prevent injury. Given Penix's struggles in two straight weeks, though, it's possible Morris wanted to see if Cousins gave the team an offensive spark to finish out the game.

Cousins is, by far, the more experienced player, but age and injury limited his numbers last season. In 14 games with the Falcons last year, Cousins threw 16 touchdowns against a league-leading 14 interceptions. He was benched down the stretch in favor of Penix, who the Falcons took in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft.