The Atlanta Falcons will look for their eighth win of the year when they host the New York Giants on Sunday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Despite ending their four-game losing streak last week, the Falcons still felt it was time to make a change at quarterback.
The team benched veteran Kirk Cousins for rookie Michael Penix Jr. as Atlanta attempts to stay alive in the NFC playoff hunt. Can Penix lead the team to a win against a struggling Giants team in Week 16?
Check out our Falcons Wire staff picks and predictions for Sunday’s game in Atlanta below:
Crissy Froyd (7-6):
Welcome to the dawn of the Michael Penix Jr. era. Will he deliver the results that the Falcons want? That much remains to be seen. But count on Penix to deliver against the struggling New York Giants, who present almost too many issues to count. Expect the New York passing game to continue to falter as Penix and company look to get Atlanta back on track in that same area. | Falcons 34, Giants 17
Deen Worley (7-6):
The Falcons’ quarterback change should breathe new life into the offense. I don’t expect it to be perfect by any means, but there should be a new shot of energy amongst the rest of the unit. Couple that with the playing against the lowly Giants who seem to be playing for a loss instead of a win, Penix should be able to get the victory in his debut. | Falcons 17, Giants 3
Matt Urben (7-6):
The Falcons finally stopped the bleeding and benched Kirk Cousins for Week 16. I think Michael Penix Jr. can do some things that Cousins isn’t capable of, including getting the ball to tight end Kyle Pitts. I think Atlanta will win convincingly and that Pitts will have a monster day (80-plus receiving yards). The Falcons get that elusive eighth win they’ve been searching for since 2017. | Falcons 19, Giants 12
Sunday’s game kicks off at 1 p.m. ET inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The Falcons are favored by 9.5 points over the Giants.
