Could Kirk Cousins' collapse force Michael Penix Jr. into Atlanta's lineup?

For the third straight game Atlanta Falcons veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins failed to throw a touchdown pass. Not only did Cousins fail to score the quarterback consistently cost his team points with weak throws and turnovers. Matching his career high with four interceptions this was a masterclass on how NOT to play the quarterback position.

Despite the awful day from Cousins, Raheem Morris wasted no time having the veteran quarterback's back. In the postgame comments, Morris made it clear that Cousins had given Atlanta wins and that one game wouldn't change how he was viewed. This is still very much Kirk's team if we are taking Morris at his word and not expecting a major pivot after the postgame presser.

Kirk's contract is the only thing keeping Michael Penix on the sidelines

It is beyond clear at this point if the Falcons didn't have money guaranteed to Cousins next season the veteran would be benched. You simply cannot defend the level of play we've seen over the last three weeks. Now there are six interceptions and zero touchdowns over this three game winning streak.

Yes, the early-season heroics kept Atlanta's season alive and the credit belongs to Cousins. However, this doesn't give the quarterback the right to submarine what is a big division lead, based simply on them having the lead in the first place. The logic doesn't make sense with what we are seeing from a veteran who has zero confidence and cannot move in the pocket.

If not for Kirk's contract this team is going to Penix looking to get a jolt from the rookie quarterback and save Atlanta's season. It doesn't matter what Atlanta is paying Cousins if this is the level of play they're receiving from the quarterback. There isn't an excuse for the missed throws or turnovers that Cousins gave to the Chargers.

This was a winnable game, but the Falcons lost because of their quarterback. If this doesn't cause the Falcons to reconsider how committed they are to Cousins, you can forget seeing Penix at all this season.