Falcons Door Slammed Shut on Kirk Cousins’ Face as HC Sends Strong Message to Michael Penix Jr.

It only took three weeks for the Kirk Cousins vs. Michael Penix Jr. debate to reignite in Atlanta. But this time, it looked a bit different from the offseason chatter. Cousins definitely seemed to have a slight edge, and the reason was obvious: A nightmare Sunday where the Falcons got smoked 30-0 by the Panthers.

Penix got benched with the team down 27-0. He finished 18-for-36 for 172 yards and threw two picks before Cousins stepped in. Sure, the benching was more about the score than anything else, but heading into Week 4, the big question was: Would Raheem Morris stick with Cousins over Penix? Certainly not.

“Kirk lost his job last year,” the head coach said when asked about Penix remaining the starting QB, per Terrin Waack, the Falcons’ beat writer. “We’re not even close to that with (Penix). He had a bad day. We had a bad day.” The signs are clear…well, Morris had cleared them right after that ugly loss to Carolina: The Falcons are done with Kirk Cousins.

In Penix’s absence, Cousins completed five of the first seven passes for 29 yards. When asked about his decision to pull Penix for Cousins in the fourth quarter, Morris revealed that the game was already out of hand. “The game was out of hand,” the HC said. “You know, you move on. Keep him out of harm’s way. Keep our guys out of harm’s way. Took a couple players out… The game was out of hand. They got us.”

And when asked if Cousins would get an opportunity to compete for the starting job, the head coach gave a firm “NO.” That said, heading into Week 4, one thing’s pretty obvious: Kirk Cousins is locked in as the priciest backup QB in the league this season. As for actually starting? Don’t be on it. He’s only getting the call if some bad luck hits and an injury shakes things up for the Falcons.

Michael Penix Jr. is the QB1 for Raheem Morris

It’s a little early to predict how well Penix will bounce back in Week 4. But as things stand, Morris is still confident with the way his second-year quarterback is playing. On Wednesday, the Falcons’ senior reporter, Tori McElhaney, reported that the head coach remains optimistic about Penix ahead of Week 4.

“I feel like Mike (Penix) is going to bounce back today,” Morris said, per McElhaney, expressing confidence in the Falcons’ decision to move forward with Penix is absolutely still in place. “He had a bad day. The team had a bad day,” Morris added. The QB struggled throughout the game and looked out of rhythm. The reasons, however, were plenty.

The offense never really found its rhythm. On top of that, Penix had to deal with a busted helmet mic in the first quarter, which cost Atlanta a couple of early timeouts. Just another layer of frustration on a rough day. Eventually, the Falcons decided to sit him down and let Cousins take over.

“I’m never OK with not playing,” he said when asked about Morris’ decision to play Cousins. “End of the day, I listen to my head coach. ” The Kirk Cousins vs. Michael Penix Jr. surely reignited for a brief moment. But as we head into Week 4, the second-year QB will be the QB1 for the season. As for his bounce back? That remains to be seen.