It’s earlier than originally expected, but the Michael Penix Jr. era is upon us in Atlanta, 15 games into his rookie season and maybe not a moment too soon.
Following a disgusting offensive performance which led to a win that was much more difficult than it should have been against the hapless Raiders on Monday Night Football, the Falcons finally pulled the trigger on benching Kirk Cousins in favor of the rookie.
Now, the scenario is simple — Penix must lead the Birds to three wins in three games down the stretch if they want have a realistic chance of competing in post season play for the first time since 2017.