Falcons Bench Cooper Rush, Insert Jack Strand

ATLANTA -- Kevin Stefanski and the Atlanta Falcons have seen enough. After a third turnover from third-string quarterback Cooper Rush, they have officially benched the veteran in favor of rookie undrafted free agent Jack Strand.

Rush, who was named starter for a second-straight week after Tua Tagovailoa and Michael Penix Jr. remained unavailabe due to injury, struggled against the Carolina Panthers. He fumbled on the first play of the game, and threw an interception just a few plays later. The third interception in the third quarter put him on the bench.

Fans loudly booed the decision to keep Rush in the game, but their frustration grew more noticeable as the Panthers built a 27-3 lead in the third quarter. After the decision to bench him, Rush ended his day completing 10-of-17 passes for 86 yards.

Rush is coming off a poor Week 1 performance against the Steelers, going 12-for-22 for 143 yards, a touchdown, and two interceptions - one of which was a pick-six to defensive end TJ Watt. With him at the helm, the Falcons were the only team in the NFL not to take a single snap in the red zone, and they managed just 16 total points through two weeks.

Strand was an outstanding summer performer for the Falcons, and fans have been clamoring for him to be named the starter on social media in the days leading up to this game. Over his three appearances in preseason, he completed 24-of-36 passes (66.7%) for 306 yards, 1 passing touchdown, and 1 interception. Strand also ran for two touchdowns.

Unfortunately for the Falcons, his first official pass was batted and intercepted by Devin Lloyd. The Panthers' linebacker returned the picked off pass for a touchdown, extending their lead to 31 points.

Fortunately for the Falcons, there is growing confidence that Penix could return to action this Thursday for their Week 3 trip to face the Green Bay Packers.

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