It’s rare for a rookie quarterback to make his first start in late December on a team still competing for a playoff spot, especially when the current starting quarterback has not been injured. However, that’s exactly what occurred with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
Michael Penix Jr., the No. 8 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, rose to the occasion with a solid performance in the Falcons’ dominant 34-7 victory over the New York Giants at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Penix completed 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards, with one interception that wasn’t his fault. In the second quarter, he connected with tight end Kyle Pitts near the end zone, but Pitts bobbled the ball, allowing Giants cornerback Cor’Dale Flott to intercept it.
The Falcons earned 22 first downs, 10 of which came through the air. They were 8-of-14 on third downs and 2-of-4 in the red zone, an area where they had struggled with former starter Kirk Cousins in recent weeks.
“He went out and played almost flawless football and kept the game really clean, allowing us to get a win,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said of Penix.
Cousins had thrown nine interceptions over his last five games, with only one touchdown pass. The Falcons went 1-4 in those games, including a four-game losing streak that took them from a 6-3 record and first place in the NFC South to fighting for their playoff lives.
Cousins now leads the league with 16 interceptions, and his 12 fumbles are tied for the most in the NFL alongside Baker Mayfield.
Morris announced the decision to start Penix on Tuesday night.
Now, the Falcons are 8-7, still with a chance at the playoffs, though they remain mathematical underdogs. To make it, they’ll need the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who they hold a tiebreaker over, to slip up in their remaining three games.
For a rookie quarterback starting in a must-win game, Penix displayed remarkable poise — even though the Giants, with just two wins, provided less of a challenge.
The Falcons’ defense also helped out, scoring 14 points through a pair of pick-sixes. Running back Bijan Robinson rushed for 94 yards on 22 carries and scored two touchdowns.
“I know I’m here for a reason,” Penix said. “I worked extremely hard to get to this position, and I just had to go out there and execute. We executed to get a win today.”
Since Cousins had been the starting quarterback, Penix hadn’t worked extensively with the starting receivers during practice.
The Falcons had to quickly adjust, ramping up their preparation this week. On Wednesday, they conducted a walk-through, during which Penix took all 72 offensive snaps.
“It was a lot of work put in this week, man,” said Falcons wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who had five catches for 82 yards. “A lot of work after practice, during practice when we’re not going offense. There are still things we need to improve, but it looked good today.”
When Penix received the call from offensive coordinator Zac Robinson that he would be starting for the rest of the season, he was at Costco, about to enjoy a hot dog.
Penix said he wouldn’t be celebrating his first career victory at Costco, but would instead opt for “something fancier.” However, he’s still hoping for a Costco sponsorship.
“Costco is great,” Penix said. “Costco needs to hit me up.”
