The Atlanta Falcons used their first-round pick on a quarterback in April, but they’re unwilling to hand over the keys to him despite their veteran quarterback’s current struggles.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris showed his confidence Kirk cousinswho had a four-interception game in Sunday’s loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, moving the Falcons to 6-6 on the season.
It’s the team’s third straight loss, but luckily the NFC South is still one of the weaker players in the NFL as the Falcons are tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) passes during the first half against the Los Angeles Chargers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Dale Zanine-Imagn images)
So, with a playoff spot in mind and only five games left in the regular season, there has been discussion about whether the Falcons should make a quarterback change.
Morris put out the fire before it got too wild.
“I don’t think that’s going to be the problem here,” Morris said in response to a question about Cousins being benched, via the New York Post. “That guy carried us. That guy got us to the point where we’re 6-6, first place in the division. We still have everything going for us despite what happened today. It’s up to us to get back to bounce and a way to win football games, and there is no better man than 18 to do that for us.”
So Michael Penix Jr., the Falcons’ first-round pick who shocked the football world months ago, will continue to sit behind Cousins as his backup.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass against the Los Angeles Chargers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the fourth quarter. (Brett Davis-Imagn images)
But Cousins knows he hasn’t been living up to his standards lately, throwing an interception in each of the previous two games before this stunner of a performance on Sunday. Cousins also hasn’t thrown a touchdown in the last three games.
“We will not make excuses for what happened today,” Morris said. “That guy carried us all season, he did a fantastic job. It’s hard to throw that guy under the bus.”
The Falcons’ selection of Penix at No. 8 overall, who played for the Washington Huskiesshocked many by signing Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed.
He has seen some time on the field in the regular season with losses, completing three of his five passes for 38 yards.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) drops back to pass against the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis-Imagn images)
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But Penix will continue to learn from Cousins, who will look to right the ship in the coming week’s so-called “revenge game” against his Minnesota Vikings as he returns to the team he spent the last six seasons with.
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