After back-to-back quarterback disasters, the Atlanta Falcons will welcome back Michael Penix Jr. against the Green Bay Packers.
To say the Atlanta Falcons are going through it right now would be an understatement.
It's not like this team had Super Bowl expectations in the offseason, but they were just embarrassed, 34-3, at the hands of a Carolina Panthers team that allowed 59 points in Week 1.
Cooper Rush went 12/22 in Week 1 with 143 passing yards. He was sacked four times, and only had one touchdown to two interceptions.
In Week 2, Jack Strand would replace Rush after he went 10/17 for 86 yards with two more interceptions.
Things didn't go much better as Strand threw a pick-six on his first career pass attempt. He would finish the game 8/15 for 59 yards.
Things may be trending in the right direction for the Falcons though as ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Michael Penix Jr. is indeed back and will be the team's Week 3 starter for Thursday Night Football.
Packers will face Penix Jr. in home opener
It sure would've been nice to see Rush or Strand in Week 3 after a narrow win over the New York Jets, but Penix Jr. is a true toss up.
This is a guy who tore his ACL last season, so while he should be back to 100% and be ready to go, who knows if the Falcons rushed him back so they could forget about these first two losses.
Lambeau Field will be rocking as the 1-1 Green Bay Packers take on a Falcons team that will use their third quarterback in three weeks.
This Packers defense was all over Geno Smith last week, and Lukas Van Ness was a huge part of that. He was far from the only one, but his breakout game leaves Penix Jr. with a lot to worry about, especially if he's not as mobile as he usually is.
A closer look at Penix Jr.'s numbers
If playing Tua Tagovailoa was an option, it feels like the Falcons would go that route. At least for the time being, they're going to stick with Penix Jr.
The 26-year-old debuted in 2024, but didn't start breaking out until last season. Before going down with a major injury, he completed 60.1% of his passes and threw for 1,982 yards in nine games.
Penix Jr. had a nine touchdown to three interception ratio, one that was far superior to his 3:3 ratio as a rookie in 2024.
Atlanta selected Penix Jr. with the No. 8 overall pick back in 2024.
