The good news is that the Atlanta Falcons finally snapped their five-game losing streak in a 24-10 victory over the New Orleans Saints. However, the bad news is that the victory came with Kirk Cousins replacing Michael Penix Jr. under center, who ignited a Penix and Drake London-less offense.
The victory saw the 38-year-old complete 16 of 23 passes for 199 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick six. His success came because the Dirty Birds modified their offensive scheme to let Cousins operate under center rather than play out of the pistol like Penix, which immediately paid dividends.
The scheme change from OC Zac Robinson is something fans have been waiting months for, but Raheem Morris let fans in on why the change didn't come sooner after the game. Morris admitted it occurred because Cousins feels more comfortable playing under center, which is incredibly concerning to hear.
Raheem Morris all but admits Michael Penix Jr. was the problem with the Falcons' offense
It was the offensive performance Falcons fans have been waiting to see, but it unfortunately came courtesy of the wrong signal-caller. The second-year QB enjoyed an up-and-down start to his first season as a starter before suffering a partially torn ACL in Atlanta's Week 11 loss to the Panthers.
Earlier this season, fans were quick to call for Robinson's job before he risked stunting Penix's development. However, Morris' words make it clear that the second-year OC wasn't holding Penix and an uber-talented offense back, the 2024 first-round pick was the one forcing Robinson to call such a vanilla offense in the first place.
Entering Week 12, the Falcons were one of just six teams averaging less than 20 points per game on the season, and Sunday's performance made the real truth clear. Cousins is better-suited for the scheme Robinson wants to run, and they might have turned to Penix earlier than they should have.
Penix's unwillingness to target the middle of the field is a clear defect, as the four-time Pro Bowler had the offense firing on all cylinders when throwing between the numbers. This also helped Bijan Robinson to surpass 100 scrimmage yards for the second straight game as the run game shined in New Orleans.
The 25-year-old's sheer arm talent should give him a leg up over Cousins, but his status for Week 1 of 2026 is in serious doubt. His third ACL tear since college is a whole other type of issue, but a quarterback controversy might be returning to Atlanta if things continue on this trajectory.
If Captain Kirk keeps performing like this in Penix's absence, he'll undoubtedly be starting somewhere next season, but whether that QB1 opportunity is in Atlanta or not has yet to be seen. But regardless, it's clear to see the coaching staff trusts the man they paid $180 million in free agency last offseason.