Falcons Big Winners in Latest NFL Power Rankings

An NFL quarterback has often been described as the most important position in sports. It's also been said they get too much credit when a team wins and too much blame when they lose.

No matter where you stand on the debate of position importance, the Atlanta Falcons were an excellent test subject for what happens to a team that doesn't have a functional quarterback under center vs. one that does.

Two weeks ago, the Falcons were blown out at home by the Carolina Panthers as Cooper Rush seemed to be working against the team. It's not entirely his fault; he never should have been out there. An emergency starter, Rush was unemployed the day over 100 quarterbacks reported to training camps across the NFL, and it showed.

Insert Michael Penix Jr., who hadn't seen a live defense in nearly a year, and the Falcons' fortunes changed dramatically with a blowout win of their own against the Green Bay Packers in Lambeau.

After a shaky start, Penix was efficient and put pressure on the perimeter of the defense, opening up running lanes for Bijan Robinson and taking advantage of single coverage on Drake London.

The Falcons looked like a completely different team, and Nick Shook of NFL.com and Pete Prisco of CBS Sports took notice. The Falcons moved up eight spots, second only to the Raiders 12 spot move, to No. 23 on NFL.com.

"Kevin Stefanski and OC Tommy Rees didn’t get too cute in their first game with Michael Penix Jr. in the lineup, leaning heavily on Robinson and allowing their star running back to open up the rest of the offense in a lopsided victory that repaired their reputation and may have saved their season," Shook wrote on NFL.com

Prisco moved the Falcons up nine spots, tied with the Steelers for the biggest upward move, to No. 21. Like Shook, he rightly put the Falcons ahead of the Packers who have the same record.

"It's amazing what getting a functional quarterback can do for a team. Just keep giving it to Bijan Robinson, and things will be fine for the offense," Prisco wrote.

Obviously, it's a little more complicated than that, because Rush did try to just give the ball to Robinson. With no threat of the pass (other than to Robinson), the Steelers and Packers were able to shut down the Falcons offense, who didn't run a play in the redzone the first two games.

Penix's second pass of the game was a deep shot up the left sideline to Jahan Dotson. While it was incomplete, it was also a statement of intent from the Falcons: Back off, or we'll take you deep.

Shook and Prisco both rewarded the Falcons for the team they looked like with Penix under center, rather than punishing them for the sins of the first two weeks. They'll have a chance to move up again on Monday night against the Saints, who check in at 16 and 18 for NFL.com and CBS Sports, respectively.