Michael Penix Jr. Comments on Kirk Cousins, Falcons' Offensive Play in Steelers Loss

Atlanta Falcons rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. defended the play of quarterback Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta offense as a whole following the Falcons' Week 1 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Speaking to Josh Kendall of The Athletic, Penix said Cousins was "calm and collected through the whole game."

Penix also felt the offense wasn't as bad as the box score may have suggested it was, saying:

"We had a lot of things in our game plan that we wish we could have executed a little better, but it's never as good as you think, never as bad as you think once you go back and look at it. We left a lot of things out there, but we did execute a lot of things as well, more than a lot of people outside our facility could see."

Atlanta fell 18-10 at home to the Steelers in what was Cousins' first regular-season start since suffering a season-ending Achilles tear while with the Minnesota Vikings in 2023.

The Falcons gave Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract during the offseason despite him being 36 years old and coming off a major injury, and his time in Atlanta did not get off to an ideal start.

Cousins went 16-of-26 for 155 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions in what was an ugly performance for the Falcons offense as a whole.

While there is still plenty of season left to be played, the arrivals of Cousins, head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson came with massive expectations for the Falcons to enjoy a quick turnaround in 2024.

Ultimately, the Falcons had a mere 226 total yards against the stout Steelers defense, which is a number that must improve significantly moving forward.

The Falcons shocked many when they used the No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft on Penix after handing a big contract to Cousins, but Penix does give them a fallback option if things don't work out with Cousins.

It is far too early to consider the possibility of Cousins experiencing a steep drop-off after several productive seasons in Minnesota, meaning Penix is nothing more than a backup for now.

The Falcons likely hope they won't even have to think about making the Penix the starter until at least three years from now, but his looming presence could potentially put added pressure on Cousins to perform.

Cousins is an established veteran who has been through plenty of ups and downs, though, and it is unlikely that one bad game will do much to fluster him.

The Falcons will have a tough matchup on their hands Monday night when they go on the road to face the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2, although the Philly secondary has plenty of question marks that Cousins could potentially exploit.