The Atlanta Falcons are officially hitting the panic button after an 0-2 start, with Michael Penix Jr. named the team’s starting quarterback for their Week 3 game against the Green Bay Packers. This is a massive move, signaling a full-on reset just two weeks into the season after Penix missed the first two games recovering from ACL surgery.
Cooper Rush’s Rough Ride and a Rookie’s Nightmare
Look, the Falcons’ first two games were an absolute mess. Cooper Rush, who was pushed into the starting role after Tua Tagovailoa went down with an oblique injury before the season even kicked off, completely struggled. He completed just 56.4 percent of his passes and threw a single touchdown against a league-leading four interceptions in those two starts. It got so bad that in Week 2, during a brutal 34-3 blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers, they benched Rush in the third quarter for rookie Jack Strand. What happened next? Strand threw a pick-six on his very first NFL pass attempt. You can’t make this stuff up, it was a disaster unfolding on live TV.
Penix’s Past and a Desperate Spark
Now, the pressure is on Penix, who is stepping into a seriously tough spot for his first NFL start since he sustained another ACL injury last November. That torn ACL happened in an overtime loss to the Panthers on November 16th last season, marking the third time since college that he’s undergone surgery for a torn ACL. Before that season-ending injury, Penix was in the middle of a “solid, yet unspectacular” second year. He had beaten out veteran Kirk Cousins for the starting job and tossed nine touchdowns against three interceptions in nine starts. Despite participating in full practice in both Week 1 and Week 2, he was ruled out until now. The Falcons are clearly desperate for any kind of spark, and they’re throwing Penix into the fire.
This isn’t going to be an easy debut for Penix. He’s on a short week, facing a Green Bay Packers team that’s coming off an overtime win against the New York Jets. Given the nature of his injury history and the absolute futility of the Falcons’ offense so far this season, expectations are understandably low for his first start back. But if he can just make the Falcons look like a professional football team this Thursday, it would be a huge step towards salvaging what’s already been a brutal start to the year for their faithful fans.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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