The Atlanta Falcons' quarterback situation has been a nightmare so far this year, and it shows in their success, or lack thereof, this season. With Michael Penix Jr. recovering from an ACL injury, Tua Tagovailoa was supposed to start the season under center. However, the fellow lefty QB injured his oblique just days before the regular season, forcing him out of action through two weeks.
Cooper Rush was handed the reins to Atlanta's offense in his place, but he struggled mightily and was benched during the Falcons' second loss of the year. Jack Strand took over for Rush, but his production was far from perfect as well. Coming off a 34-3 loss, there is hope on the other side of the tunnel, though, as Penix is returning for the Week 3 game against the Green Bay Packers. However, will things be any different with the Washington product taking snaps?
The Falcons aren't much better off with Michael Penix Jr.
The Falcons -38 point differential is the worst in the NFL. Rush's four interceptions lead the league, and he and Strand have only combined for 247 passing yards. Strand even threw a pick-six on his first career pass. The 0-2 team is also dead last in scoring (eight points per game). Theoretically, the Falcons can only go up from here.
While the Falcons won't go 0-17 with Penix under center, the grass isn't all that much greener with their former first-rounder under center. While many of Penix's draft class peers from a rookie crop that included six QBs being selected within the first round have thrived, Penix's on-field production has left a lot to be desired.
He started his rookie season on the bench, and once he was inserted into the starting lineup, his production was underwhelming. Penix had 775 yards with three touchdowns and interceptions a piece through five games as a first-year player, three of which he started. Last season, the former NCAA passing yards leader had 1,982 yards and nine touchdowns, and he was again limited in terms of availability. Penix played just nine games.
Penix lacks arm strength, and his accuracy has long been overrated. While the Falcons do have a number of great offensive talents, Penix hasn't proven that he is able to get them the ball in the right spots. Drake London is a big-bodied receiver, and Kyle Pitts was the highest-drafted tight end ever, but with the Washington product leading the offense, the team has opted to focus on the ground game rather than the passing attack. While that may go to show more about how talented Bijan Robinson is, the Falcons just haven't shown much faith in Penix airing the football out.
Furthermore, injuries are a major concern when it comes to Penix. Not only is the quarterback returning from a serious injury, and therefore may have some jitters upon a return, but he has thrice torn his ACL. Other injuries have limited his time on the field, too, and the QB has done nothing to prove he will be able to stay healthy. It would come as no surprise if, at some point, Penix had to sit and fellow injury-prone quarterback Tagovailoa was promoted to starter.
The Falcons seem destined to finish near or at the bottom of the standings, where they will then have a chance to fix their quarterback carousel with an early QB draft selection. Penix will be better than Strand/Rush, but he won't be better than the vast majority of the starting signal callers around the league.