The Atlanta Falcons find themselves in second place behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South. The Minnesota Vikings also happen to be second place in their division, but with a record of 12-2. The decision to move on from Kirk Cousins in the off-season came with scrutiny and uncertainty about the immediate future of their franchise.
Fast forward to December, and Minnesota looks like the smart one.
“They Did What?” Vikings Fans Erupt Over Massive Kirk Cousins News Just Before Playoffs
Having struggled in Kirk Cousins’ last five games, the Atlanta Falcons have promoted first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. to starting quarterback:
“After review we have made the decision Penix Jr. will be the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback moving forward,” head coach Raheem 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.”
Here is a look at Penix Jr’s stats in college:
| Season | Team | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | TD% | Int | Int% | Y/A | AY/A | Y/C | Y/G | Rate | Awards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Indiana | Big Ten | FR | QB | 3 | 21 | 34 | 61.8 | 219 | 1 | 2.9 | 0 | 0.0 | 6.4 | 7.03 | 10.4 | 73.0 | 125.6 | |
| 2019* | Indiana | Big Ten | FR | QB | 6 | 110 | 160 | 68.8 | 1394 | 10 | 6.3 | 4 | 2.5 | 8.7 | 8.84 | 12.7 | 232.3 | 157.6 | |
| 2020* | Indiana | Big Ten | SO | QB | 6 | 124 | 220 | 56.4 | 1645 | 14 | 6.4 | 4 | 1.8 | 7.5 | 7.93 | 13.3 | 274.2 | 136.5 | |
| 2021 | Indiana | Big Ten | JR | QB | 5 | 87 | 162 | 53.7 | 939 | 4 | 2.5 | 7 | 4.3 | 5.8 | 4.35 | 10.8 | 187.8 | 101.9 | |
| 2022* | Washington | Pac-12 | JR | QB | 13 | 362 | 554 | 65.3 | 4641 | 31 | 5.6 | 8 | 1.4 | 8.4 | 8.85 | 12.8 | 357.0 | 151.3 | H-8 |
| 2023* | Washington | Pac-12 | SR | QB | 15 | 363 | 555 | 65.4 | 4903 | 36 | 6.5 | 11 | 2.0 | 8.8 | 9.24 | 13.5 | 326.9 | 157.1 | H-2,Maxwell |
| Career | 48 | 1067 | 1685 | 63.3 | 13741 | 96 | 5.7 | 34 | 2.0 | 8.2 | 8.39 | 12.9 | 286.3 | 146.6 | |||||
| Indiana (4 Yrs) | 20 | 342 | 576 | 59.4 | 4197 | 29 | 5.0 | 15 | 2.6 | 7.3 | 7.12 | 12.3 | 209.9 | 132.0 | |||||
| Washington (2 Yrs) | 28 | 725 | 1109 | 65.4 | 9544 | 67 | 6.0 | 19 | 1.7 | 8.6 | 9.04 | 13.2 | 340.9 | 154.2 | |||||
Many fans couldn’t believe it:
