Oh come on, Falcons.
Despite getting a rare great performance from one of the league’s worst defenses, Atlanta blew it in a way that will ensure head coach Raheem Morris and the rest of his staff protect the team’s $180 million quarterback investment for the foreseeable future.
Thanks to the selection of quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in April’s draft, current starter Kirk Cousins will always be in the hot seat. That heat turned into a hell of a frenzy after an underwhelming showing against the Chargers in which Cousins’ game outscored the Falcons 17-13.
Cousins was brought in to stabilize the offense after a few years of terrible quarterback play, but it appears his limitations are becoming too much for the Falcons to overcome, leaving them at a crossroads with the QB situation.
The Falcons had plenty of opportunities to beat the Chargers, who had just one offensive touchdown, were held to 187 yards of offense for the entire game and had the second-worst output in terms of points per game (4.1) and expected. Run (-1.34) this season. It was the Falcons defense’s best performance of the season, and Atlanta still squandered this opportunity. If the Falcons are going to lose games in which they’ve performed like this defensively, something has gone horribly wrong on the other side of the ball — this time, with the blame falling squarely on the quarterback.
Cousins threw four equally formidable interceptions during the game. There was a pick 6, a weak high ball when the Falcons were in scoring position and an errant throw to end the game. Just miserable, horrible football that crushes any attempt to win.
After the game, Morris defended Cousins and his play, saying he has gotten the Falcons to the point where they have a chance to win the division. Part of that is true — Cousins’ play in October helped the Falcons jump to an early lead in the NFC South. He was arguably better than the combination of Desmond Ryder, Marcus Mariota and Taylor Heinecke over the past two years that led the Falcons to run to Cousins in free agency for help.
However, he has a much lower ceiling to play since the Achilles tear last year, and that has made the Falcons’ offense a unit that is increasingly easy to defend. Cousins’ immobility led to Atlanta running the lowest rate of play-action in the league and ending up in many situations where the Falcons ran a stagnant passing game that left the defense guessing. They have one of the best rushing attacks in the league, led by Bijan Robinson and Tyler Algier, but they can’t maximize everything they bring to the table because they’re boxed in by Cousins’ limitations. In a game where the Falcons were never down more than a possession, it’s surprising they couldn’t reach into the bag of tricks and push some simple buttons that didn’t line up Drake London in the slot for a quick slant.
This is where things get hairy for the Falcons. ESPN reported that Cousins’ future with the team was in doubt — which it was in the past Cousins absolutely stinks against the Chargers. Penix is the team’s plan for the future and the Falcons will be Speed up that process if Cousins tanks at the end of the season. If they can blow their shot at the playoffs, it’s not off the table that Penix will play meaningful snaps in games this season.
Of course, the fact that it’s on the table would suggest that this experience is headed for failure. If the Falcons cut Cousins after the season, they would have to deal with a $65 million salary-cap hit, according to Spotrac, making building a quality team around Penix much more difficult than it already is.
It’s a rough place for the Falcons to find themselves, but it’s clear that Cousins is actively holding the offense back from its full potential.
Can a rookie quarterback do better? Probably not, realistically. Still, the Falcons are facing a future where the Penix era will begin sooner than many expected.
