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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr looks on after a victory over the New York Giants at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.Photograph: Brett Davis/USA Today Sports
It only took one drive to see the difference. The Falcons smoked the Giants 34-7 on Sunday behind a commanding performance from their rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
It was Penix’s first start after the team ejected on the Kirk Cousins experience, with the Falcons expected to release the veteran this offseason. On the sideline, Cousins stood with his helmet on, looking like a dejected figure. On the field, Penix threw lasers, showing the Falcons what they have been missing for almost two months: a legitimate starting quarterback.
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Moving on from a face-of-the-franchise quarterback too early hurts, but not nearly as badly as waiting too long.
And make no mistake: Cousins was signed to be the face of the Falcons and to lift Atlanta to the promised land. After years of wading around in quarterback purgatory, the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180m contract last offseason with $90m guaranteed despite the quarterback recovering from an achilles injury. They invested heavily in free agency in the hopes they could microwave a contender in a lousy NFC South.
But the plan was a bust. Cousins never looked like the same player who lit it up in Minnesota – a fringe top-10 quarterback on his best day, even if he was capable of gagging away games. He never recovered from the achilles tear he sustained with the Vikings last season. As a result, the Falcons were forced to turn to an unorthodox system that did not ask Cousins to move or throw or, by the end, routinely even plant his feet.
The early-season returns were ugly. Cousins limped around games. He was hesitant in the pocket. He struggled to move away from pass-rushers. At times, his athleticism was so shot that he struggled to sprint to hand the ball off to…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/michael-penix-jr-sterling-debut-083009552.html
Author : The Guardian
Publish date : 2024-12-23 08:30:00
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