The Atlanta Falcons narrowly escaped Nevada with a win in Week 15 after taking down the Las Vegas Raiders 15–9. If anything was clear from their performance on Monday night, it's that the quarterback play has been vastly underwhelming.
Both quarterback Kirk Cousins and head coach Raheem Morris acknowledged the lack of production from under center after the game. When speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Morris didn't shut the door on possibly making a change at the position ahead of the Falcons' Sunday afternoon clash with the New York Giants.
Morris was asked directly if Cousins was still the team's starting quarterback. He mostly dodged the question, but didn't declare outright that Cousins still had a vice grip over the starting job.
"We just got back. We still have to go through that process. All those things will happen over the course of the week. We didn't play well enough at the quarterback position," Morris said, via Josh Kendall of The Athletic.
Of course, if Cousins gets demoted to clipboard duty, it would be first-round draft pick Michael Penix who is elevated into the starting role. Penix has featured in two games this year, throwing a total of five passes. He was a surprise pick at No. 8 overall by Atlanta, who had touted him as the heir apparent to Cousins and its quarterback of the future. As Cousins struggles, the timeline for Penix to take over as the starting quarterback could be moving way, way up.
Cousins, 36, signed a four-year, $180 million deal with the Falcons this offseason. The contract includes $100 million in guaranteed money and also has an opt-out after the 2025 season. He's thrown just one touchdown to nine interceptions over his last five games, and Morris admitted Cousins's cold spell has truncated his confidence a bit.
"There are ways to get it back. That’s our job. That’s everybody’s job. We all need support at some point. We have to play better at that position," said Morris.
Morris made clear that his goal for Atlanta is to secure as many wins as possible. With the Falcons sitting at 7-7 and in second place in the NFC South, the playoffs remain within reach. It's possible based on the noncommittal nature of Morris's response that the Falcons feel promoting Penix could be their best chance at reaching the postseason.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Falcons Coach Raheem Morris Doesn't Rule Out QB Change.
