Michael Penix Jr. lifts Atlanta Falcons in starting debut - ESPN

ATLANTA — It's uncommon for a rookie quarterback to make his first start in late December on a team still vying for a playoff spot, when the incumbent starter wasn't injured. But that's exactly what happened with the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

And Michael Penix Jr., the No. 8 overall pick in the draft last April, followed through with a solid performance in the Falcons' 34-7 rout of the New York Giants here at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Penix was 18-of-27 for 202 yards and one interception, which wasn't his fault. In the second quarter, he found tight end Kyle Pitts on a pass near the end zone. But Pitts bobbled the ball, and it ended up being picked off by Giants cornerback Cor'Dale Flott.

The Falcons had 22 first downs, 10 of them through the air. They were 8-of-14 on third down and 2-of-4 in the red zone, where they had struggled under former starter Kirk Cousins in recent weeks.

«He went out and played almost flawless football and kept the game really clean and kept everything clean for us in order for us to get a win,» Falcons coach Raheem Morris said.

Cousins had nine interceptions over his last five games with just a single touchdown pass. The Falcons went 1-4 in those games, including a four-game losing streak that took them from 6-3 and in pole position in the NFC South to hanging on for their playoff lives.

Cousins has a league-leading 16 interceptions and his 12 fumbles are tied for the most in the NFL with Baker Mayfield. Morris announced the switch to Penix last Tuesday night.

Now, the Falcons are 8-7 with the playoffs within reach, though they're still a mathematical underdog to make it. They'll need the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who they own a tiebreaker against, to slip up over their remaining three games.

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