Will Michael Penix be able to lead the Falcons to an NFC South title?

Just one day after Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris called out Kirk Cousins saying the Falcons needed to play better at the quarterback position, Morris announced that Cousins would be sat in favor of rookie Michael Penix Jr. on Sunday. Following the Falcons' 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday, Cousins himself admitted he needed to play better, but the Falcons won't be giving him a chance, moving forward with Penix.

Penix will become the fifth quarterback selected in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft to get a start this season and the pressure is immediately on. Atlanta is 7-7, one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for first place in the NFC South but the Falcons have the tiebreaker should the two teams finish with the same record.

The Bucs are 8-6, while the Falcons are 7-7, but Atlanta holds the tiebreaker with two wins over Tampa Bay.

Remaining schedules:

🏈Atlanta: Giants, Commanders, Panthers

🏈Tampa Bay: Cowboys, Panthers, Saints

Michael Penix Jr. now takes over in Atlanta. pic.twitter.com/XlsWWczahS
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 18, 2024

"After review, we have made the decision Michael Penix Jr. will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward," Morris said in a statement. "This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday's game against the New York Giants."

To win the NFC South, the Falcons need to win one more game over the final three weeks than the Buccaneers. Atlanta plays the Giants, Washington Commanders and Carolina Panthers while Tampa Bay plays the Dallas Cowboys, Panthers and New Orleans Saints.

Starting a rookie quarterback is daunting, and elevating one with three weeks to go on a team during a playoff race is even more so. Penix has the quarterbacking ability to make this run possible, but rookie quarterbacks in the NFL rarely do well right out of the gate, and that's what Atlanta needs. This move likely favors the Buccaneers more than the Falcons, but the beauty of the NFL is that anything can happen on any given Sunday.

Penix's fellow first-round quarterbacks have a combined 24-28 record, but Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix are on the verge of leading their teams to the playoffs. Caleb Williams and Drake Maye, on the other hand, are on teams fighting for the No. 1 pick.

There won't be any training wheels put on Penix; not when the Falcons need wins and need them now. A relatively soft landing to their season is helpful, but Tampa Bay's schedule isn't much harder. A season ago with Washington, Penix threw for 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, leading the Huskies to the National Championship game. Atlanta is hoping Penix can play near that level and lead the Falcons to the postseason for the first time since 2017.