The Atlanta Falcons have made their call at quarterback for Week 3, and Michael Penix Jr. is the guy for Thursday night against the Green Bay Packers.
That decision came quickly after Sunday’s 34-3 loss to the Carolina Panthers, a game that left Atlanta with more than one problem to solve. The short week was already pressing, but the quarterback situation was the biggest item on the list. Cooper Rush and Jack Strand both got action, and neither gave the offense much of a spark - each finished without reaching 100 passing yards.
Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski was expected to settle the issue on Monday, and he did exactly that by naming Penix the starter.
Penix and Tua Tagovailoa were supposed to compete for the job during training camp, but Penix was still working his way back into playing shape. He is returning from an ACL injury, while Tagovailoa is also dealing with an injury timeline of his own after suffering an oblique injury just days before the season opener against Pittsburgh. It is still unclear whether Tagovailoa will be active as the backup.
“I think Mike’s looked good,” Falcons offensive coordinator Tommy Rees said of Penix recently. “He’s been really going here for a few weeks now.
I didn’t know Mike pre-injury very well, except from afar. But he looks sharp, moving well.
I think he has confidence in it. Obviously, his arm talents is easily seen.
But in terms of the lower-body movement and his ability to play quick and do those things, I think Mike’s progressed really nicely.”
Last season, Penix started nine games and threw for 1,982 yards with nine touchdowns before his ACL injury ended his year.
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Russells inclusion matters because it keeps Alabama in the center of the SEC conversation even as other programs try to build momentum behind emerging quarterbacks like Tennessees Faizon Brandon, Vanderbilts Jared Curtis and Mississippi States Kamario Taylor. For Alabama, it is another sign that the Tides future at the position is drawing real attention, and that Russell is already being discussed alongside some of the leagues most promising young talents. [Read more 🡒]
Alabama Pass Rush Has A New Difference-Maker Entering SEC Play
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Now the challenge gets a little more demanding, with South Carolina next on the schedule and Alabama looking for Thompkins to keep setting the tone up front. For a defense that wants to disrupt timing and force offenses into uncomfortable spots, his role only gets bigger from here. The early returns have been strong, but the next stretch will show how much of a difference-maker he can be when the competition tightens. [Read more 🡒]