Stats show where Falcons' Michael Penix Jr. excelled in win over Giants

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris benched starting quarterback Kirk Cousins in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. last week, and Penix ultimately guided the club to an easy 34-7 win over the lowly New York Giants (2-13) this past Sunday. 

While Penix's performance against New York wasn't the most dynamic, ESPN's Ben Solak noted in a piece published Tuesday that the 24-year-old completed all 11 of his pass attempts between the numbers for 130 yards in his first NFL start. 

"The Falcons' offense was capable of taking an immediate leap with Penix at the helm because of his ability to move and drive the football — two key aspects of quarterbacking that Cousins physically lacked after an Achilles injury and down the long stretch of the season," Solak explained. 

Cousins looked like a shell of his best self as he tossed one touchdown pass and nine interceptions over his past five games, four of which were losses before Morris moved to Penix. Penix completed 18-of-27 passes for 202 yards with no scores and one pick that wasn't his fault against the Giants. 

Regardless of whether or not Cousins has a "dead" arm related to the torn Achilles he suffered in October 2023, it now appears he'll be a spectator through the end of the season as long as Penix remains healthy. 

"Penix was exactly what he was billed as out of college: a big pocket passer willing to trigger fast and make aggressive throws," Solak added. 

Meanwhile, former NFL signal-caller and current analyst Chase Daniel of The Athletic said on the latest "Scoop City" podcast that Penix "played a flawless game" against Big Blue. 

Both the Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers head into Christmas at 8-7, but first-place Atlanta defeated Tampa Bay twice earlier in the season. Penix is already 1-0 in must-win games regarding his team's pursuit of a playoff berth, but he'll face a much tougher challenge when the Falcons play at the 10-5 Washington Commanders this coming Sunday night. 

As of Tuesday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Atlanta as a four-point underdog for that prime-time showdown.