The Atlanta Falcons have benched Kirk Cousins. Rookie Michael Penix Jr. will make his first NFL start in the Week 16 game against the New York Giants as the Falcons aim for a playoff spot.
Cousins has struggled since returning from last season’s Achilles injury. In his last five games, the veteran quarterback has thrown just one touchdown pass and nine interceptions.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris evaluated a lot of things after the team’s 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The franchise finally made the tough decision to bench the quarterback the team signed to a four-year, $180 million deal this past offseason.
Baker Mayfield Gives Advice to Kirk Cousins
Baker Mayfield, who has dealt with adversity throughout his career and was also benched earlier in his career, recently offered advice to Cousins.
“I mean, it’s always a tough deal,” said Mayfield. “I, from experience, learned a lot behind Tyrod Taylor and Drew Stanton, just trying to take in as much information as possible. And that’s the most important part, is you have to support each other in that room, and that’s what it’s all about.”
#Bucs QB Baker Mayfield on advice for the Falcons rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. Great reponse. pic.twitter.com/kRWUK3J8Cd
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) December 18, 2024
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback wants Cousins to do well, but not too well, as he still wants his team to win the division over the Falcons.
“So, yeah, different this late in the year for him to be thrown into it with a lot on the line for them, so just take it all in, trust yourself… don’t trust yourself too much because we’re still trying to make the playoffs,” Mayfield said. “But the whole locker room just got to support it, and you just have to be all in for it to have success.”
The Falcons are 7-7 and one game behind the Buccaneers in the NFC South standings. Atlanta needs to win all of its remaining games this year to have the best shot at winning the division, and there will be immense pressure on Penix to perform immediately.
The quarterback change might help the Buccaneers, who are currently on a four-game winning streak. Mayfield is having the best season of his career, and it will be tough for the Falcons to stop Tampa Bay from winning the division.
Cousins Played His Best in 2024 Against the Buccaneers
The Falcons benched Cousins after 14 games in which he threw for 3,508 yards, 18 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions (a career-high total) while completing 66.9% of his throws.
His numbers were disappointing, but the four-time Pro Bowler played exceptionally well in the two games against the Buccaneers. The Falcons won both games against Mayfield’s team this year, and Cousins was 65/87 in passing for 785 yards, eight touchdowns, and just one interception. He completed 74.7% of his throws with a passer rating of 127.8.
These performances against the Buccaneers made the Falcons believe that the 36-year-old quarterback was the right choice for the team. However, recent struggles have resulted in Penix getting thrown into the fire with just three games left in the season.
The Falcons drafted Penix with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Although the team has exceptional players all over the offense, it will be telling how the Washington product faces the learning curve.
