The Atlanta Falcons suffered an ugly 30-0 blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers in Week 4 of the 2025 NFL season. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. turned in a particularly bad performance that led to his benching, with Kirk Cousins taking over in the fourth quarter.
Cousins did little in relief, completing 5 of 7 passes for 29 yards. Penix finished 18 of 36 for 172 yards with two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown. While Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said nothing has changed regarding who will start next week, Penix has an alarming trend that should concern Atlanta.
In Penix’s starts with the Falcons, when opponents score more than seven points, the quarterback is 0-4, according to CBS Sports.
That is unlikely to sit well with Falcons fans who hope Penix will become their next franchise quarterback. In context, though, it is worth remembering that the second-year signal-caller’s career is just getting started.
Michael Penix’s Career Is Just Beginning With Falcons
After the September 21 loss to the Panthers, Penix’s record as a starter fell to 2-4.
Following the Falcons’ decision to bench Cousins late last season, Penix made his first start in Week 15 against the New York Giants, winning 34-7. He followed that with a road loss to the Washington Commanders, 30-24, and then a 44-38 loss to the Panthers to close the season.
For 2025, Penix and the Falcons opened with a 23-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, then beat the Minnesota Vikings 22-6 in Week 2 before the shutout loss to Carolina.
Not all of those losses fall solely on Penix. Defense has been a lingering issue for the Falcons, going back to 2024. Still, in those four defeats, Penix has completed just 55.9% of his passes for 1,005 yards, three touchdowns and three interceptions.
Falcons reporter Joe Patrick pinned much of the offensive struggles against the Panthers on coaching.
“Falcons continually are getting set at the line of scrimmage with under 10 seconds on the play clock,” Patrick said. “Then put players in motion with the snap coming near :00 almost every play. A young quarterback barely has time to look at the defense. Zero chance to can plays.”
Raheem Morris Won’t Bench Michael Penix Jr For Kirk Cousins
Morris pulled Penix at the start of the fourth quarter with the Falcons trailing 27-0. Cousins entered the game and played just two drives. The result was a turnover on downs and fumble by the offense.
“The game was out of hand, you know you move on, keep him out of harm’s way,” Morris said.
Morris likely anticipated the inevitable question about whether Cousins would compete for the starting job in Atlanta’s September 28 matchup against Washington. That’s why his answer was so short.
“No,” Morris said emphatically, before quickly moving on to the next question.
That response echoed how he handled a similar situation in 2024, when Cousins struggled for weeks before Morris finally turned to the then-rookie Penix. Ironically, the change came after a 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders in which Cousins was ineffective, completing 11 of 17 for 112 yards, a touchdown and an interception.
How long Morris sticks with Penix could depend on whether performances like the one against Carolina become the norm.
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