Falcons Raheem Morris gives clear verdict on Michael Penix Jr.'s role after being benched for Kirk Cousins in Week 3

Atlanta Falcons coach Raheem Morris has declared his position on Michael Penix Jr.’s starting role after benching him for Kirk Cousins. The Falcons suffered a 30-0 loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, with Penix throwing for two interceptions and completing just 50% of his passes.

The second-year quarterback was replaced late in the game with Cousins, raising speculation about his fate in the role. Morris addressed the speculation on Wednesday, making his position unequivocal. He said:

“Kirk lost his job last year. We’re not even close to that with Mike. He had a bad day. We had a bad day. Mike is our quarterback. We got a lot of confidence in Mike. We’re moving forward with Mike. Mike’s the guy.”

Morris added:

“The game was out of hand. You know you move on, keep him [Penix] out of harm’s way. Keep our guys out of harm’s way.”

The Falcons’ offense had no response to the Panthers’ domination, with Cousins doing no better than Penix when he came on. The veteran completed 5 of 7 passes for 29 yards to mark his first appearance this season.

Michael Penix Jr. has not been impressive so far this season, having thrown for 605 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions. The quarterback’s struggles are reflective of the team’s rough patch, starting the season with a 1-2 record.

Analyst diagnoses reason for Michael Penix Jr.’s struggles

ESPN’s Dan Graziano has attempted to explain Michael Penix Jr.’s struggles under center for the Atlanta Falcons this season. He wrote:

“Sure, Penix is playing like a quarterback who has made only six in the NFL, but a couple of people I talked to Monday said they don’t think the team is doing enough to help him. There were a few instances Sunday—a 30-0 loss to Carolina—where plays seemingly took too long to come in. Receivers also dropped passes.”

Bijan Robinson leads the Falcons in receiving yards this season with 164 yards so far. The receiver connected to Penix’s 50-yard pass for his only touchdown during the Falcons’ Week 1 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Atlanta’s wide receivers room faces further uncertainties after firing Ike Hilliard as the wide receivers coach following Sunday’s loss to the Panthers. The Falcons will be hoping to bounce back when they face the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

The Commanders are fresh from a 41-24 win over the Las Vegas Raiders and will be looking to extend their winning streak.