<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/why-falcons-win-over-giants-doesnt-prove-michael-penix-jr-can-lead-team-on-deep-playoff-run');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Falcons win over Giants doesn’t prove Michael Penix Jr. can lead team on deep playoff run');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Why-Falcons-win-over-Giants-doesnt-prove-Michael-Penix-Jr.-can-lead-team-on-deep-playoff-run.jpg"></figure><h1>Why Falcons win over Giants doesn’t prove Michael Penix Jr. can lead team on deep playoff run</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-23T16:13:05-08:00">December 23rd, 4:13pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-23T16:13:05-08:00">December 23rd, 4:13pm</time><address><a>Shane Shoemaker</a>Shane Shoemaker is an Associate Editor and Editorial writer for ClutchPoints, covering a wide range of sports and entertainment topics. Shane is a lifelong Tennessean yet refuses allegiance to any Tennessee-based teams. He's a graduate from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga with a BA in Communications/Journalism. There's a good chance he'll never let you forget the Atlanta Braves won the 2021 World Series.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Falcons turned heads during the NFL Draft in April with one of the most surprising selections in recent memory. It wasn’t necessarily the player, quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who raised eyebrows—he was considered a first-round talent by many—but rather the context surrounding the No. 8 overall pick.</p><p>Penix was projected to be drafted anywhere from the top 10 to the late first round, with some concerns about his injury history and mechanical issues that scouts often scrutinize. Yet, those questions took a backseat when Atlanta made the call. The narrative shifted instantly.</p><p>The question wasn’t about Penix’s ability but about the decision itself: Why would the Falcons draft a quarterback at No. 8? The team had glaring needs elsewhere—most notably on the pass rush, a need that still persists—and had just signed Kirk Cousins to a lucrative four-year, $180 million contract. So, why Penix?</p><p>Fourteen games into the season, that question answered itself.</p><p>Cousins, once lauded for leading the team in fourth-quarter comebacks, devolved into a turnover machine. During Atlanta’s four-game losing streak prior to Week 16, Cousins failed to throw a single touchdown while tossing eight interceptions. It became painfully clear that the Falcons needed a change, and there sat Penix, waiting in the wings with a figurative “Break in case of emergency” sign on him.</p><p>Head coach <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/why-falcons-raheem-morris-didnt-want-to-bench-kirk-cousins-michael-penix-jr">Raheem Morris finally broke the glass</a>, calling on Penix to start against the New York Giants in Week 16.</p><h2><b>Michael Penix Jr. was solid in debut against Giants</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Penix-Jr-vs-New-York.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Everything seemed perfectly set up for <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/falcons-news-michael-penix-jr-instant-reaction-successful-first-start">Michael Penix Jr. to make his NFL debut in Week 16</a>. The Falcons were back at home in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, sporting their throwback uniforms, and their opponent was the struggling New York Giants, a team with just two wins on the season.</p><p>Penix faced a Giants defense ranked near the bottom of the league in takeaways and points allowed per game. While nothing is guaranteed in the NFL, this appeared to be an ideal matchup for the rookie and Atlanta to reset and build momentum during the final stretch of the season with their playoff hopes still alive.</p><p>The rookie quarterback delivered, leading Atlanta to a convincing 34-7 victory over New York. Penix completed 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards and an interception—a pick that was more the result of Kyle Pitts failing to secure a catch than a poor throw by Penix. Unfortunately, that interception also wiped out what would have been Penix’s first NFL touchdown.</p><p>With Penix at the helm, the Falcons generated 10 of their 22 first downs through the air, converted 8 of 14 third downs, and went 2-for-4 in the red zone.</p><p>“He went out and played almost flawless football and kept the game really clean and kept everything clean for us in order for us to get a win,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said of Penix, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/43115812/michael-penix-jr-lifts-atlanta-falcons-starting-debut" rel="noopener">per</a> <i>ESPN</i>.</p><p>It’s hard to argue with <a href="http://v">Morris’ assessment of Penix’s debut</a>. There have been far worse starts for rookie quarterbacks in NFL history. Still, context matters. Penix’s strong showing came against a weak opponent in favorable circumstances. How he performs in subsequent games, especially under tougher conditions, will be the true measure of his potential and if he can lead this team in the playoffs.</p><h2><b>The real test for Michael Penix Jr., Falcons begins now</b></h2><p>The advantages of homefield and facing a weaker opponent benefited Michael Penix Jr. in his debut, but his second act will be a much greater challenge. The Falcons are headed to Washington, D.C., in Week 17 to face the playoff-contending Commanders in a game with significant postseason implications. The NFL even flexed the matchup to Sunday Night Football, highlighting its importance.</p><p>This time, it’s not a veteran-versus-rookie duel but a head-to-head battle between two of the top eight picks in last year’s draft: Penix and fellow rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels holds a clear experience advantage, having 13 starts under his belt compared to Penix’s single appearance. Adding to the drama, Washington’s head coach, Dan Quinn, is the same coach who last guided Atlanta to the playoffs.</p><p>If Penix and the Falcons manage to pull off the upset and remain in the NFC playoff picture, their next challenge will be a divisional matchup against the Carolina Panthers. While the Panthers have only three wins this season, they’ve shown significant improvement in recent weeks.</p><p>These next two games will be pivotal in determining Atlanta’s playoff fate. While Penix’s performance against the Giants was encouraging, it doesn’t carry much weight considering the circumstances. The real test begins now.</p><h2><b>The Falcons had everything go their way in Week 16</b></h2><p>In the grand scheme of things, while Michael Penix Jr.’s performance was solid and encouraging, everything seemed to align perfectly for him and the Falcons on Sunday. Defensively, Atlanta had one of its best showings of the season, forcing three turnovers from the Giants, including two pick-sixes. The defense also added three sacks, marking the fourth consecutive game with at least three.</p><p>On offense, the Falcons leaned heavily on their ground game, accumulating 127 rushing yards and two touchdowns. This allowed Penix to avoid the pressure of needing to make big plays downfield. Bijan Robinson carried much of the load, rushing 22 times for 92 yards and two scores.</p><p>Additionally, the Giants were dealing with quarterback instability, starting Drew Lock in what was his third appearance of the season. Lock struggled, throwing a season-high two interceptions.</p><p>Adding to Atlanta’s good fortune, the Dallas Cowboys helped the Falcons playoff hopes by defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a rare home win for Dallas. The Buccaneers, who had been leading the NFC South, were upset on Sunday Night Football by the Cowboys. With the Falcons having swept the Bucs earlier in the season, they reclaimed the division lead for now.</p><p>Does that ultimately mean the Falcons will make the playoffs? That can only be answered by Penix  and his performances moving forward.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Falcons win over Giants doesn’t prove Michael Penix Jr. can lead team on deep playoff run

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/falcons-news-raheem-morris-drops-truth-bombs-michael-penix-jr-s-first-start');   ga('set', 'title', 'Falcons coach Raheem Morris drops truth bombs on Michael Penix Jr.’s first start');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Falcons-news-Raheem-Morris-drops-truth-bombs-on-Michael-Penix-Jr.s-first-start.jpg"></figure><h1>Falcons coach Raheem Morris drops truth bombs on Michael Penix Jr.’s first start</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T14:58:30-08:00">December 22nd, 2:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T14:58:30-08:00">December 22nd, 2:58pm</time><address><a>Jackson Stone</a>Jackson Stone is a Mercer University senior from Atlanta on track to graduate with a BA in communications. A lifelong sports lover, Jackson is a die-hard fan of all Atlanta teams. He joined ClutchPoints in 2023.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>On Sunday afternoon, the Atlanta Falcons picked up their eighth win of the season with a 34-7 home demolition of the New York Giants. This game marked the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/falcons-news-michael-penix-jr-instant-reaction-successful-first-start">first career start for quarterback Michael Penix Jr.</a>, whom the Falcons selected eighth overall in this past NFL Draft and was recently moved up the depth chart <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-falcons-keeping-kirk-cousins-michael-penix-jr-s-backup-not-off-table">over the struggling Kirk Cousins.</a></p><p>Penix Jr. played well on Sunday vs the Giants, completing 18 out of his 27 pass attempts for 202 yards. The one interception he threw was largely a product of a drop from tight end Kyle Pitts.</p><p>After the game, head coach Raheem Morris spoke on <a href="https://x.com/tori_mcelhaney/status/1870940859505705175" rel="noopener">what he saw</a> out of Penix Jr. on the afternoon.</p><p>“The plan came a little bit sooner, but the kid was ready.” Morris said, per Tori McElhaney on X, describing Penix Jr.’s play as “near flawless football.”</p><p>Morris also broke down why the Falcons were so thankful that Penix Jr. was ready to step up to the challenge.</p><p>“I would say it’s gratifying to us as an organization,” said Morris, per Terrin Waack.</p><h2><b>A good start for Michael Penix Jr.</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Penix-Jr-vs-New-York.jpg"><figcaption>Brett Davis-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>It’s not often that a rookie quarterback is asked to make his first career start for a team that’s in the middle of a tight playoff race and facing a must-win situation every time they step on the field.</p><p>However, that was exactly the scenario Michael Penix Jr. found himself in when Raheem Morris inserted him into the starting lineup this week over Kirk Cousins, who had struggled mightily since early November.</p><p>It should be noted that if a quarterback were to find themselves in that situation, there probably isn’t a more favorable opponent to be playing against than the Giants, who were already on a nine-game losing streak and lost some more key pieces on the defensive end of the ball during the game on Sunday.</p><p>Still, you can only play who’s in front of you, and Penix Jr. showed excellent decision making skills as well as the downfield accuracy that allowed him to be a top ten pick this past April, despite working against some brutal drops from Atlanta’s wide receivers.</p><p>In any case, the Falcons will next take the field on Sunday evening for a road game against the Washington Commanders. That game is slated to get underway at 8:20 PM ET from Landover.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Falcons coach Raheem Morris drops truth bombs on Michael Penix Jr.’s first start

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/falcons-news-michael-penix-jr-instant-reaction-successful-first-start');   ga('set', 'title', 'Falcons rookie Michael Penix Jr.’s instant reaction to successful first start');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Falcons-news-Michael-Penix-Jr.jpg"></figure><h1>Falcons rookie Michael Penix Jr.’s instant reaction to successful first start</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T14:05:11-08:00">December 22nd, 2:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T14:05:11-08:00">December 22nd, 2:05pm</time><address><a>Dan Fappiano</a>Dan Fappiano is a Connecticut based sports journalist and a graduate of both Tunxis Community College and Central Connecticut State University. Dan has spent time covering high school and professional sports in both the print and online medium. He hopes to see his beloved Chicago Bears win a Super Bowl someday.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It took until Week 16 for the Atlanta <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/falcons-news-michael-penix-jr-reaction-starting-quaterback">Falcons to finally feel comfortable starting rookie quarterback Michael Penix</a>. Their patience paid off, as Penix led the Falcons to a 34-7 victory over the New York Giants in his debut.</p><p>The rookie completed 18-of-27 passes for 202 scoreless yards and an interception. While his numbers aren’t the prettiest on paper, Penix is <a href="https://x.com/tori_mcelhaney/status/1870944960377454806" rel="noopener">more than content to earn a victory</a> in his first starting opportunity, via team reporter Tori McElhaney.</p><p>“I’ve been preparing each and every day for this,” Penix said. “It was such a blessing. A great game. A great team game.”</p><p>While the Giants opened up the scoring with a two-yard touchdown run. It was all Falcons from there. Of their 34 unanswered points were two Drew Lock pick-sixes. Add in a pair of Bijan Robinson touchdown runs and Riley Patterson field goals and the Falcons came away with a rout.</p><p>Still, the quarterback knows he has room to improve from his debut. He isn’t hiding from it and says he has <a href="https://x.com/tori_mcelhaney/status/1870946280014488061" rel="noopener">a lot more he can offer</a>.</p><p>“It takes a lot of reps. We did a lot of reps this past week and have a lot more to put together,” Penis said. “What you saw today is only going to get better.”</p><p>The decision to bench Kirk Cousins for Michael Penix didn’t come without controversy. Adding Penix to the team after signing Cousins brought on a wave of flack as is. But the Falcons stood by it. Atlanta knows it may take some time for Penix to get truly acclimated. Still, they believe he is the right quarterback to lead their playoff push. Penix <a href="https://x.com/tori_mcelhaney/status/1870945101024776360" rel="noopener">stands by their decision</a>.</p><p>“I was ready for the moment,” Penix said.</p><p>After earning a victory in his debut, Penix will have another opportunity to prove himself in Week 17 against the Washington Commanders.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Falcons rookie Michael Penix Jr.’s instant reaction to successful first start

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl-rumors-falcons-keeping-kirk-cousins-michael-penix-jr-s-backup-not-off-table');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL rumors: Falcons keeping Kirk Cousins as Michael Penix Jr.’s backup ‘not off table’');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/NFL-rumors-Falcons-keeping-Kirk-Cousins-as-Michael-Penix-Jr.s-backup-not-off-table.jpg"></figure><h1>NFL rumors: Falcons keeping Kirk Cousins as Michael Penix Jr.’s backup ‘not off table’</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T08:46:07-08:00">December 22nd, 8:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T08:46:07-08:00">December 22nd, 8:46am</time><address><a>Ben Strauss</a>Ben Strauss is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a die-hard NFL fan who cheers for the Detroit Lions. He has previously written fantasy football content for IDPGuys and ImportantNonsense.com.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Atlanta Falcons are in a tight race during the final weeks of the regular season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-power-rankings-week-16-bills-win-shootout-seahawks-struggle">Atlanta is 7-7 heading into Week 16</a> and is in a tight race with Tampa Bay for the NFC South division title. The Falcons have to keep winning during the final three weeks of the regular season to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfc-playoff-picture-after-rams-take-control-of-nfc-west-in-week-15">have a chance at a playoff berth in the NFC</a>.</p><p>The Falcons will have to win those games with rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. as their new starter. Atlanta announced earlier this week that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/falcons-news-benches-kirk-cousins-favor-of-michael-penix-jr">Kirk Cousins in benched in favor of the rookie</a>.</p><p>But what will the Falcons deal with this situation after the 2024 season? Atlanta has a number of different options for dealing with the Kirk Cousins situation this offseason. NFL insider Ian Rapoport <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/weighing-atlanta-s-options-as-falcons-transition-from-kirk-cousins-to-michael-penix-jr-as-starting-qb" rel="noopener">laid out a number of possibilities</a> in a recent article on NFL.com.</p><p>One option Rapoport mentioned was the Falcons keeping Cousins as the backup for Michael Penix Jr.</p><p>“Cousins has been a model teammate in the building, especially this week. He’s sat in the same seat in team meetings and has remained a leader. He has helped mentor Penix and this week upon a demotion, ran the scout team. That could pave the way to them keeping him as a backup — since they have already paid him, anyway,” Rapoport argued.</p><p>This theory does conflict with reporting from Adam Schefter this week that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-falcons-will-release-kirk-cousins">suggests the Falcons will cut Kirk Cousins before March 17th</a>. This would save the Falcons from paying Cousins a $10 million bonus.</p><h2><b>Would Kirk Cousins becoming a backup QB work for him and the Falcons in 2025?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Kirk-Cousins_f84c62.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>On the surface, this is obviously the easiest option for the Falcons to move forward with. This is largely because it requires them to make no changes this offseason.</p><p>However, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-remaining-backup-2025-gets-stern-appraisal">not everyone is convinced that this plan would actually work out</a>.</p><p>ESPN’s Marc Raimondi believes that Cousins will be a supportive mentor for the remainder of the 2024 season. He does not think that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl-rumors-falcons-will-release-kirk-cousins" rel="noopener">grace would carry over into next season</a>.</p><p>“For the remaining three weeks of the season, Cousins said he’ll offer his support to Penix and the team. After that, things are very much up in the air, and the chances the 13-year veteran returns to the Falcons as a backup seem slim,” Raimondi said Friday.</p><p>Cousins has not been known to be a dramatic quarterback earlier in this career. That said, he’s never found himself in this situation before.</p><p>It will be interesting to see how the Falcons approach the upcoming offseason. Whichever decision they make about Kirk Cousins will likely be the first domino to fall.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NFL rumors: Falcons keeping Kirk Cousins as Michael Penix Jr.’s backup ‘not off table’

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/falcons-news-atlanta-change-offense-michael-penix-jr-benching-kirk-cousins');   ga('set', 'title', 'How Falcons will change offense for Michael Penix Jr. after benching Kirk Cousins');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/0How-Atlanta-will-change-offense-for-Michael-Penix-Jr.-after-benching-Kirk-Cousins-0.jpg"></figure><h1>How Falcons will change offense for Michael Penix Jr. after benching Kirk Cousins</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2024-12-22T08:26:20-08:00">December 22nd, 8:26am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2024-12-22T08:26:20-08:00">December 22nd, 8:26am</time><address><a href="https://medium.com/bingeable">Sonny Giuliano</a>Sonny Giuliano is an experienced sports writer for ClutchPoints who has been covering the NFL, NCAA Football, NBA, and NCAA Basketball for well over a decade. Originally from the small town of Elba, New York, Sonny received his degree from Florida Gulf Coast University and currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Atlanta Falcons</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After just 14 subpar games, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/falcons-news-benches-kirk-cousins-favor-of-michael-penix-jr">the Falcons made the decision to bench Kirk Cousins</a> in favor of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/meet-michael-penix-jr-the-falcons-no-8-pick-in-2024-nfl-draft">8th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, Michael Penix Jr.</a>, a 2023 Heisman Trophy finalist and presumptive future face of the franchise in Atlanta. The move comes at an interesting point in the season, as the 7-7 Falcons are very much in the mix for a postseason berth, yet they’re willingly turning the car keys over to a rookie who has just five regular season pass attempts to his name.</p><p>Now in fairness, you could say that Kirk Cousins forced Atlanta’s hand with a disastrous five week stretch in which he threw just one touchdown to nine interceptions as the Falcons went from 6-3 to 7-7 as fast as you could say, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/falcons-news-kirk-cousins-atlanta-edition-you-like-that-celebration-not-as-iconic">“You Like That?”</a> Even still, making the change to Penix does not come without risk, as Atlanta will need to tailor their offense to the big-armed lefty in a short period of time ahead of Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.</p><p>But that doesn’t mean that Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and his staff in Atlanta isn’t up to the challenge, in large part because they’ve been <a href="https://www.nfl.com/news/weighing-atlanta-s-options-as-falcons-transition-from-kirk-cousins-to-michael-penix-jr-as-starting-qb" rel="noopener">preparing Penix for this moment</a> all year long, and they believe, “mentally, he is ready.”</p><p>According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, since the preseason, Penix has been practicing with the same listening device in his helmet as Kirk Cousins, allowing the rookie to, “get his mental reps that way, run the scout team, but then go back and watch the film of what Cousins has done and go through it himself.”</p><p>Additionally, there will be changes on Sunday in how Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson calls the game with Michael Penix Jr. in at quarterback as opposed to Cousins, who hasn’t displayed the arm strength this season he once showed in Minnesota prior to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/vikings-news-kirk-cousins-carted-locker-room-packers-ankle-achilles-injury">a season-ending achilles tear in the 2023 season</a>.</p><p>“While they’ll likely focus on core plays he likes and knows well, expect an attempt at more deep throws and big plays. There will also likely be more play-action,” Rapoport writes. “Atlanta loved Penix’s arm talent in the pre-draft process, and viewed him overall as a prospect near Jayden Daniels’ level. They expect big things, and from those who have observed practice, players can feel the optimism, too.”</p><p>This could end up being the move that saves Atlanta’s season, but even if it is, it will raise the question as to why it took Raheem Morris and co. so long to pull the trigger on benching Cousins for Penix.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Michael Penix

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How Falcons will change offense for Michael Penix Jr. after benching Kirk Cousins

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