POPULAR SEARCHES <br> BROWSE BY <br>Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said last week he didn't want to rush rookie quarterback <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/michael-penix-player">Michael Penix Jr</a>., but with Atlanta fighting for a playoff spot, Morris has changed his mind. Penix will take over for struggling starter <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/kirk-cousins-player">Kirk Cousins</a>.<br>"After review we have made the decision Michael Penix will be the <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/atlanta-falcons-team">Atlanta Falcons</a> starting quarterback moving forward," Morris said in the statement. "This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday's game against the New York Giants."<br>Atlanta is a contender in the weak NFC South despite another shaky performance from Cousins that led the Falcons to become a run-first team.<br>An <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/falcons-do-just-enough-beat-raiders-15-9-keep-pace-nfc-south" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ugly 15-9 win</a> at the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday night left the Falcons 7-7 and one game behind Tampa Bay in the division.<br><i><strong>[Related: </strong></i><a href="https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-playoff-picture-2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><i><strong>Check out the latest playoff standings</strong></i></a><i><strong>]</strong></i><br>The Falcons hold the tiebreaker advantage with the Buccaneers, leading Morris to say after the game, "That's where you want to be."<br>The win came with Cousins passing for only 112 yards with one touchdown and one interception. He offered a somber review of his outing when he said, "It's not where I want to be."<br>Cousins entered the game with no touchdown passes and eight interceptions in his previous four games. He ended his touchdown drought with a 30-yard scoring pass to <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/nfl/drake-london-player">Drake London</a> in the first quarter but couldn't build off that highlight and added his league-leading 16th interception.<br>The Raiders (2-12) are tied for the league's worst record with the New York Giants, who bring a nine-game losing streak to Atlanta on Sunday. The Falcons then face a difficult game at Washington (9-5) before closing their regular season at home against Carolina (3-11).<br>Penix has appeared in only two games and did not play against Las Vegas. <br>Morris said last week that sticking with Cousins "has nothing to do with non-belief" in Penix. "But he is a rookie and we do have a plan and we have had a plan from the beginning on how we want to utilize and be able to play our rookie when it's time."<br>Morris also said other coaches have "pulled the trigger and put guys out there too early and it's gone terrible, right? And I don't want to be that guy."<br>Cousins, 36, signed a four-year, $180 million contract in the offseason before Penix was selected No. 8 overall in the NFL Draft. <br>The 24-year-old started his college career in 2018 at Indiana, where he stayed until 2021. Penix then transferred to Washington and put together back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons. In 2023, he threw for an FBS-high 4,903 yards, along with 36 touchdowns, and finished as the Heisman Trophy runner-up. He also led the Huskies to the national championship game, where they lost to the Michigan Wolverines.<br>Morris says the Falcons have never wavered from their belief that Penix is their future starter.<br>This week, he decided that the future is now.<br><i>The Associated Press contributed to this report</i>.<br><i><strong>[Want great stories delivered right to your inbox?</strong></i><a href="https://www.foxsports.com/newsletter"><i><strong> <u>Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily</u></strong></i></a><i><strong>.]</strong></i><br><br><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMilgFBVV95cUxPZldDenMzQ1BGcjk4MUM3Nll5TUJfLXdHa0FGeWswMGhhcms5ejAwdzNhcEt0SmJfN2dhVGkxdWE5TzN5S2RZNi1hX1ctalU5X1VRMGRPYWlNd3BsT0pvQ3RBM3dDb08zdzdUbEFYNjY2QnpVbU5wcnVfOWVxSEdwZTVKSDBHQzQ3bjZPV1JyTW5TVnhpZ1HSAZYBQVVfeXFMUE0tdUdFUllPS1laeF80V3k2V2JPRlJUMG9kdkJodlBQNGVLbnhsbC03amlfSWJLYWJKa3NFWnpycDR2VmhEWnl1bDR0S1BKNEkyUTJVdU9PUl9fNGs3UDV6R3M5VHc5eVB1ZXRrcGtTT0pSNWxRWkkxZ3QySktZbXJJOFhkM3h0VFdmUWRtbGFpMDNxdy13?oc=5">source</a>
