With the Atlanta Falcons benching Kirk Cousins for Michael Penix Jr., something shocking that hasn’t happened in 12 years occurred in Week 16.
Penix and Tua Tagovailoa became the first pair of left-handed quarterbacks to start in the same week since the 2012 NFL season! It’s so crazy that it seems like it can’t be true, but the last duo of left-handed starting quarterbacks was Michael Vick and Tim Tebow.
Why Has It Been So Long Since Two Left–Handed QBs Started in the NFL?
While being a left-handed quarterback is not an advantage in any specific way, it does beg the question: how have there not been two lefties starting in the same week in 12 years?
Since Vick entered the NFL out of Virginia Tech in 2001, there have only been 11 left-handed quarterbacks who entered the league: Vick, Chris Simms, Jared Lorenzen, Tyler Palko, Matt Leinart, Pat White, Tebow, Kellen Moore, Tagovailoa, Holton Ahlers, and Penix. Simms is currently an NFL analyst, Leinart is currently a college football analyst, and Moore is currently the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive coordinator.
Vick was recently hired as the new head coach of Norfolk State in what some analysts referred to as the “Deion Sanders Effect.” The hiring of Vick follows Colorado’s lead in hiring a formerly electrifying player who can bring the program to national relevance.
Since Moore, the only three left-handed quarterbacks have been the aforementioned Tagovailoa, Penix, and Ahlers, a five-year quarterback from East Carolina who made a couple of appearances on the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad.
We cannot discuss left-handed quarterbacks without making mention of White, who played at West Virginia and had one of the most electric highlight reels of any college football player over the last 20 years.
How Did Michael Penix Jr. Fare in His First Career Start?
Penix led Atlanta to a win in his first career start, defeating the Giants 34-7. The Falcons are now 8-7 and are trying to win the NFC South. New York even scored first and the Falcons still rolled, even without Younghoe Koo, who was placed on IR last week. Riley Patterson went 2 for 3 on field goals and 4 for 4 on extra points in his absence.
Penix had a decent game, completing 18-of-27 passes for 202 yards, no touchdowns, and one interception. However, his interception hit tight end Kyle Pitts right in the hands inside the five-yard line, but Pitts bobbled the ball right into the hands of Cor’Dale Flott for an interception. Outside that turnover (which wasn’t his fault), Penix did a really nice job hitting open receivers and staying active in the pocket while going through his reads.
"My heart is beating out of my chest right now…I worked all my life to get to this point."
Michael Penix Jr. is with @LauraOkmin after his first career start and win for the @AtlantaFalcons 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Ce0PsmRLM6
— NFL on FOX Podcast (@NFLonFOXPod) December 22, 2024
The Falcons scored two touchdowns on offense by Bijan Robinson and two on defense, scoring two pick-sixes to help Penix get a win in his first career start.
The Falcons are now 8-7 and lead the NFC South thanks to the Dallas Cowboys hanging on to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football and the Falcons owning the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Where Do Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins Stand?
The Miami Dolphins fared similarly with their far more experienced left-handed starter Tua Tagovailoa, defeating the San Francisco 49ers 29-17 in Miami.
Tagovailoa completed 22 of 34 passes for 215 yards, one touchdown, and no interceptions to take down San Francisco.
The Dolphins currently sit at 7-8, which is tied with the Indianapolis Colts and Cincinnati Bengals, and two games behind the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos in the AFC playoff picture.
The Dolphins play the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets in their final two games, so they have a good shot to finish 9-8 and 5-2 in the AFC should the Chargers or Broncos lose their final two games. Los Angeles faces the New England Patriots and Las Vegas Raiders (both on the road), while Denver faces the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs.
The AFC Wild Card race will definitely be one to keep an eye on.
On the season, Tagovailoa has thrown for 2,867 yards, 19 touchdowns, and seven interceptions on a 72.9% completion percentage in 11 games.
