It solely took one drive to see the distinction. The Falcons smoked the Giants 34-7 on Sunday behind a commanding efficiency from their rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
It was Penix’s first begin after the group ejected on the Kirk Cousins expertise, with the Falcons anticipated to launch the veteran this offseason. On the sideline, Cousins stood along with his helmet on, trying like a dejected determine. On the sector, Penix threw lasers, exhibiting the Falcons what they’ve been lacking for nearly two months: a reputable beginning quarterback.
Shifting on from a face-of-the-franchise quarterback too early hurts, however not almost as badly as ready too lengthy.
And make no mistake: Cousins was signed to be the face of the Falcons and to raise Atlanta to the promised land. After years of wading round in quarterback purgatory, the Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180m contract final offseason with $90m assured regardless of the quarterback recovering from an achilles harm. They invested closely in free company within the hopes they may microwave a contender in a awful NFC South.
However the plan was a bust. Cousins by no means seemed like the identical participant who lit it up in Minnesota – a fringe top-10 quarterback on his finest day, even when he was able to gagging away video games. He by no means recovered from the achilles tear he sustained with the Vikings final season. In consequence, the Falcons have been compelled to show to an unorthodox system that didn’t ask Cousins to maneuver or throw or, by the top, routinely even plant his toes.
The early-season returns have been ugly. Cousins limped round video games. He was hesitant within the pocket. He struggled to maneuver away from pass-rushers. At occasions, his athleticism was so shot that he struggled to dash at hand the ball off to working backs on fundamental stretch performs. The Falcons’ offense turned stilted and arrhythmic, bouncing backwards and forwards between one which suited the group’s younger playmakers and one which Cousins may bodily run.
There was a hope that Cousins’ achilles would strengthen all through the season. These early struggles have been rust, we have been instructed. However by the ultimate midpoint of the yr, the underside fell out of Atlanta’s offense. Cousins may not plant and fireplace. The power in his arm eroded. His decision-making, at all times erratic, started to be punished at a better clip. He threw so many geese that even late-stage Peyton Manning was beginning to wince. In his closing 5 video games, Cousins completed with 14 turnovers to 1 landing.
Past the stat line have been the visuals. Cousins seemed like a shell of his former self. Strip off the nameplate, and the Falcons had a quarterback struggling to maneuver or throw or function an NFL offense. And the Falcons’ offense was sapped of any creativity, making an attempt to scheme round a cement-footed quarterback who crumbled when strain got here calling. Cousins may not bob or weave within the pocket to keep away from bone-crushing photographs. For 5 weeks, Cousins struggled on. However by the top, watching him shuffle by way of video games was simply unhappy.
The Falcons instructed us what they considered Cousins in his closing recreation. Atlanta had 23 first-and-10s towards the Raiders. They ran the ball on 22 of these downs, making an attempt to cover Cousins as a lot as doable. On his sole go try on first down, Cousins threw a barf-inducing interception.
That flipped on Sunday. With Penix underneath heart, the Falcons have been capable of broaden their offense. In every single place you seemed, they have been rolling the pocket, difficult outdoors the numbers, hitting the intermediate stage of the sector and trusting Penix rookie to fizz the ball into tight home windows. They tried seven first-down passes within the first half on Sunday, earlier than turning to the run to shut out a blowout victory.
Penix rewarded his play-caller with a mature efficiency. He navigated muddy pockets like a veteran, prolonged performs when he may and manipulated defenders along with his eyes, spraying the ball to all ranges of the sector.
All the same old caveats apply. Outdoors of a spiky pass-rush, the Giants stink. They’re racing to the No 1 general decide within the upcoming draft. The Falcons protection scored two touchdowns, harassing Giants’ quarterback Drew Lock into field-flipping errors. Nonetheless, in his first begin, Penix proved that Atlanta’s insurance coverage plan – drafting Penix No 8 general after signing Cousins to a mega-money deal – was a savvy ploy.
The field rating is not going to leap off the display. Penix completed the sport finishing 18-of-27 passes for 202 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. However sloppy drops price Penix a gaudier stat line, and his interception got here on a tipped throw to Kyle Pitts, with the tight finish successfully launching the ball to a ready Giants DB.
Given the circumstances, although, Penix’s debut was as robust because the Falcons may have hoped for. With the specter of a downfield passing recreation, Bijan Robinson had house to do injury beneath on the bottom and thru the air. Atlanta’s all-world again completed with 103 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns, aided by the specter of his new quarterback.
Popping out of school, Penix’s prime two traits have been avoiding damaging performs and difficult defenses vertically down the sector. He was one of the best deep-ball thrower in faculty, and one of many prime sack-avoidance artists. In his first begin, each translated to the professionals: he completed with a mean depth of goal over 9 yards, virtually double what Cousins averaged in his closing few weeks; and he was not sacked, rapidly triggering the ball to an escape valve at any time when the Giants’ pass-rush got here careening house.
Loyalty is soccer rhetoric, however solely hardly ever a reality. The Falcons caught with Cousins both due to a hand-shake promise the vet would at the least be given this season to begin after the group chosen Penix, or as a result of the monetary ramifications have been too troublesome to abdomen, or as a result of Penix seemed like a large number in observe. Primarily based on Sunday, we will rule out the final possibility. Sticking with Cousins was a few preconceived plan, to wring the final drops out of an getting older quarterback earlier than handing the franchise to the younger pup.
However the Falcons let the method drag out too lengthy. By refusing to maneuver to Penix earlier within the season, they could have robbed themselves of a playoff berth. Even the medium-term outlook might be difficult, with the Falcons set to pay a gnarly amount of cash to Cousins to play for someplace else subsequent season – cash they won’t be able to make use of to encompass Penix with expertise.
The Falcons are nonetheless within the playoff combine. With two video games left, they will nonetheless pip the Bucs to the division title. With Cousins, these hopes would both be over or fruitless. What’s the purpose of creating the dance in case you’re going to get boat-raced by the Lions or Eagles? With Penix, they nonetheless have an opportunity and may construct towards the longer term – they usually may show to be a pesky underdog if they will squeeze into the playoffs. The one remaining query: what took so lengthy?
MVP of the week
Jayden Daniels, QB, Washington Commanders. Daniels threw 5 touchdowns within the Commanders’ come-from-behind win over the Eagles. Washington turned the ball over 5 occasions towards the league’s finest protection. However Daniels led the group to 22 factors within the fourth quarter, together with a clutch closing drive that noticed the rookie hit a nine-yard landing strike to Jamison Crowder to present the Commies a lead with six seconds left.
The Eagles misplaced quarterback Jalen Hurts to a concussion on their second drive, however have been in management for a lot of the sport. The primary half was dominated by Saquon Barkley and the Eagles’ offense, however that flipped within the second half. The Commanders loaded as much as sluggish Philly’s working recreation and compelled the Eagles to place the ball within the palms of backup quarterback Kenny Pickett. However with Pickett misfiring and a few expensive drops, it was over to the Eagles’ protection to close the sport down. As a substitute, they coughed up a number of chunk performs on defensive miscues, permitting Daniels to march Washington’s offense down the sector.
Daniels turned solely the seventh rookie to throw 5 touchdowns in a recreation, throwing for 258 yards and tacking on 81 yards on 9 carries. Daniels continues to show he’s greater than a flashy rookie, however somebody who can navigate his group by way of tight video games, and a quarterback with the proper antenna for when to stay to the pocket and bail out. He picked up an important 28-yard scramble on fourth-and-11 with the Commanders trailing by 13, teeing up the last-second win.
“I really like these sort of conditions,” Daniels stated after the sport. “When it’s on skinny ice and performs must be made, that’s what you reside for – in case you actually love this sport.”
The defeat means Philly did not clinch the NFC East, and have fallen a recreation behind the Lions and Vikings within the race for the NFC’s No 1 seed.
Video of the week
Detroit’s offense is waxing folks, and having enjoyable alongside the way in which. For the eighth time this season, the Lions scored greater than 30 factors, blasting the Bears 34-17 on the street. Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson placed on one other clinic in entrance of his (potential) future employers, rolling out his newest wacky creation for a landing.
That, as Scorsese would say, is cinema. Not content material with eligible linemen and reversion passes and the normal model of NFL fakery, Johnson unleashed the pretend fumble.
Each a part of it’s lovely. There may be the tuck and roll from working again Jahmyr Gibbs. Then there may be Jared Goff pretending to stumble whereas the offense barks out in unison “ball, ball, ball,” simulating a fumble. It was sufficient to freeze a single Bears defender, security Jonathan Owens, the participant tasked with masking tight finish Sam LaPorta. Laporta peeled away, leaking out of his place on the road and up the sector. By the point Goff hit the highest of his drop, LaPorta was cruising into the top zone to present Detroit a 20-point lead.
The play was known as “Stumble Bum”, which needs to be sufficient to earn Johnson an Oscar nod for Finest Director by itself. Goff stated postgame that the decision was impressed by a play Johnson noticed of Jordan Love dropping a snap towards the Bears and nonetheless engineering an enormous go play.
In a season filled with off-the-wall designs, that is Johnson’s finest. And it issues. Loads of the NFL continues to be beset by outdated considering – or incompetence. Coaches, with careers and mortgages on the road, coach with concern. Not Johnson. The Lions can win with energy, effectivity, explosiveness or creativity, a mixture that also has them on the prime of the NFC regardless of the accidents to the group’s protection.
Stat of the week
In three seasons with the Jets, Sam Darnold received 13 video games. With a 27-24 win over the Seahawks on Sunday, Darnold took his win complete to 13 with the Vikings in 15 video games. That ties him with Peyton Manning (2012) and Steve McNair (2006) for essentially the most wins by a quarterback of their first season with a brand new group.
With an injured finger and a rolled ankle, Darnold put collectively one in every of his finest performances of the season, totaling 246 yards with three and no interceptions. Darnold out-dueled Geno Smith within the Battle of Former Jets Quarterbacks, icing the sport with the throw of his profession. With the Vikings trailing late, Darnold climbed by way of the pocket and hit Justin Jefferson between two safeties for a 39-yard rating, all whereas being crushed by two defenders.
The win means the Vikings saved tempo with the Lions on the prime of the NFC. With the Eagles falling to the Commanders, the prospect of a pseudo playoff for the No 1 between one of the best of the NFC North is more and more probably.
Elsewhere across the league
The Colts scored 38 factors with solely 11 go makes an attempt in a 38-31 win over the Titans. That’s the fewest for a group scoring 38 or extra since 2000. Jonathan Taylor eclipsed 200 speeding yards for the second time in his profession, working over and round a hapless Tennessee defensive entrance. With Saquon Barkley, Derrick Henry, Bijan Robinson, James Conner, Josh Jacobs and Jonathan Taylor all anchoring their offenses, possibly working backs matter in any case.
A raft of groups have been formally eradicated from the playoff race, together with the Cardinals, 49ers and Cowboys. However the Bengals are nonetheless alive after a record-setting day from Joe Burrow. Burrow turned the primary quarterback in league historical past to put up seven straight video games with at the least 250 yards and three touchdowns in a 24-6 win over the Browns. Cincy are hanging on by their nails within the AFC. However they’ve received three straight and may squeeze into the playoffs in the event that they beat the Broncos and Steelers of their closing two video games.
You’ll be able to add Arizona to the record of eradicated groups, too. The Panthers 36-30 extra time win dumped the Cardinals from playoff consideration. Bryce Younger put collectively one of the best efficiency of his profession, hitting a number of big-time throws underneath strain, creating along with his legs and working over a defender. After the distress of his rookie season, Younger is now enjoying with a smile, fortunately torching defenses down the sector and scrambling on the bottom. He posted a career-high 68 yards along with his legs on Sunday, main the Panthers to 36 factors towards a protection that had saved opponents to 17.9 factors a recreation since Week 7.
After the story this week about proprietor Woody Johnson’s interference in soccer operations, the Jets issued a rallying cry earlier than their recreation towards the Rams. The consequence: 9 factors scored on offense and one other defeat. In the meantime, in Seattle, Sam Darnold and Geno Smith, two former Jets quarterbacks, confronted off within the heavyweight quarterback matchup of the season… simply as everybody predicted.
The Chiefs beat the Texans 27-19 on Saturday, recording their sixteenth consecutive one-score win. Whether or not it’s coronary heart, talent or luck, the Chiefs’ run is objectively bonkers. The Jaguars have 16 one-score wins in all the time since Patrick Mahomes debuted in 2017 – and 5 groups haven’t received 16 one-score video games this decade. Worryingly for the remainder of the league, KC’s efficiency towards an excellent Texans protection was one of the best their offense has seemed all season.
