These Atlanta Falcons may be at a crossroads, soon. The team has dropped three in a row, falling to a record of 6-6 and no longer in firm control of the NFC South.
The Falcons’ latest loss came on a day that saw quarterback Kirk Cousins toss a startling four interceptions, which immediately began to raise questions.
Should the Falcons sit Cousins on the bench and opt to try rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr., instead? It’s a conversation that was always going to happen. We knew it would, especially if Cousins went on to have a game like he did in Week 13.
In his latest column, ESPN’s Dan Graziano wrote about the Falcons’ current situation under center.
Graziano did note that “Cousins is playing poorly, and it’s hard to ignore the fact that the No. 8 pick of this year’s draft is sitting on the bench.”
However, the insider would go on to call this entire conversation an overreaction, also referencing the idea that this was always going to end up being a “thing” the moment Cousins struggled:
“This was absolutely bound to happen if and when Cousins hit a rough patch, and the Falcons absolutely did this to themselves when they used that eighth overall pick on Penix a month after signing Cousins to a huge free agent contract.”
Now is not the time to bench Kirk Cousins in favor of Michael Penix Jr.
Graziano went on to offer a level-headed approach to this quarterback situation.
“The Falcons’ self-inflicted QB conundrum is a sticky one, I’m not denying that. But it still seems like the best bet for turning things around is the veteran who has been through this before,” Graziano wrote. “If it doesn’t work, the Falcons can make the change in the offseason and move on from Cousins after one year. But a move this seismic at this time of year has major backfire potential.”
It’s true that Cousins is playing poorly, having thrown six interceptions over his past three games and not having thrown a touchdown pass in that span, either. It’s alarming, to say the least. The Falcons also have not scored more than 17 points in any of their last three, which is the ultimate indictment on the offense as a whole.
But, benching Cousins right now would essentially be doing one of two things. Either the Falcons were throwing away the rest of the season when it’s still well-within reach, or they’re banking on the miraculous.
This isn’t to say Penix isn’t going to be a competent quarterback. Chances are, he’ll be just fine. But, putting a rookie in such a pressurized situation seems like it’ll backfire more often than not, as Graziano alluded to.