Falcons Clips
Michael Penix Jr.? Tua Tagovailoa? Cooper Rush? Jack Strand?
Who will be the Falcons’ starting quarterback on Thursday night when Atlanta plays Green Bay?
“I don’t have an update right this minute,” head coach Kevin Stefanski said in his Monday video conference. “I have a decent idea of where we’re going, but I’ve not yet talked to the players yet. We have meetings later today. I’ll update you guys when appropriate on that. But, bottom line is, we’ve got to continue to put our plan together on offense, defense, and special teams, and find a way Thursday night in Green Bay.”
It’s been an ugly start to the season for Atlanta’s offense. With Tagovailoa suffering an oblique injury during practice leading up to the season opener, Rush has started the first two games. But he played so poorly and Sunday’s loss to the Panthers was so out of hand that Strand — an undrafted rookie — made his first appearance in the second half yesterday.
Penix has been getting closer, with some reports indicating he could be available for Thursday night. But even without making the QB1 announcement, Stefanski declined to get into specifics when it comes to Penix.
“I talk to Mike every day and, like I’ve told you guys, I’m very confident in our discussions with Mike, with medical throughout this entire process,” Stefanski said. “So it’s not news to say I talked to Mike yesterday, I’ll talk to Mike today. But anything past that, I don’t have an update, per se.”
As for Tagovailoa, Stefanski said he’s getting better.
“We’ll work through what that means for this week, but definitely getting better,” Stefanski said.
And what about Strand? He was 8-of-15 for 59 yards with an interception in his first NFL action.
“Like I’ve mentioned before, I’m very excited about Jack’s development and the work that he’s putting in in this building, constantly, is impressive,” Stefanski said. “To see where he’s come from, from Day 1 until now, I’m really proud of him. And he’ll continue to work. He’ll be better for the reps he got yesterday, but he also recognizes there’s a ton of work to do.”
Stefanski indicated that the Falcons could make an announcement about their starting quarterback as soon as later on Monday, after he’s addressed the team.
Either way, kickoff is slated for Thursday night at 8:15 p.m. ET at Lambeau Field.
The Falcons aren’t ready for prime time. But prime time is ready for the Falcons.
Atlanta, which lost 34-3 to the Panthers on Sunday, has three straight night games over the next three weeks. On Thursday night, the Falcons visit the Packers. The following Monday night, the Falcons visit the Saints. Then, six nights later, the Falcons host the Ravens.
The Week 5 game could, in theory, be flexed out of prime time. It’s rare for it to happen so early in the schedule. But with the Falcons at 0-2 and with the next two games to be played in a standalone window, the NFL may decide not to subject a national audience to a third straight Falcons game.
Other possibilities for the Sunday night window in Week 5 include 49ers-Seahawks, Bears-Packers, and Vikings-Saints. That same week, the Cowboys host the Buccaneers on Thursday night. Week 5 ends with a Monday night game between the Bills and Rams in L.A.
Ultimately, it’s the NFL’s decision. If a change is going to happen, the decision would need to be made by Tuesday, September 29.
Falcons wide receiver Drake London got into a verbal altercation with a fan during the team’s 34-3 home loss to the Panthers.
Sideline cameras showed London shouting profanities to an unknown person as teammate Olamide Zaccheaus held him back.
London later told reporters that he was reacting to “personal stuff” being said to him, and he knows his reaction was “not the right thing to do.”
“I’m going to be honest here, I don’t take light to disrespect at all,” London said, via Marc Raimondi of ESPN. “I don’t care who you are. I’m a man, too, at the end of the day. So, if you want to get on a personal level, I can get there, too, but it’s not the right thing to do. So, I got to take accountability for that, and I got to push forward and be the bigger man in some of those situations.”
The Falcons have not had their top two quarterbacks, Michael Penix and Tua Tagovailoa, this season. They have a team passer rating of 38.2 with journeyman Cooper Rush and undrafted rookie Jack Strand.
London caught four passes for 51 yards after making two catches for 29 yards last week.
When asked if it was a fan he was exchanging words with, London replied, “It was somebody.”
“But with how the game was going and what was said to me, I don’t like it,” London said.
In Week 1, the Bears came within one point of scoring 60. In Week 2, they came within three points of scoring none.
The dip from 59 points to start the season to only a field goal in the second game is, per NBC Sports research, the second biggest turnaround from Week 1 to Week 2 in NFL history.
In 1973, the Falcons opened the season with a 62-7 win over the Saints. The following week, they lost to the Rams, 31-0.
That year, Falcons quarterback Dick Shiner went from completing 13 of 15 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns to completing two of nine for 17 yards and an interception. (The Falcons finished the year 9-5 but missed the playoffs.)
On Sunday, the weather — and the Minnesota defense — had something to do with the reduction in production. Still, it won’t be easy to get closer to 59 than three if quarterback Caleb Williams misses time with the hamstring injury he suffered in the fourth quarter.
The Falcons fell to 0-2 in a 34-3 loss to the Panthers on Sunday and head coach Kevin Stefanski said after the game that it was an “extremely disappointing” performance by his team.
Stefanski’s club turned the ball over five times in the loss with three coming while starting quarterback Cooper Rush was in the game. After the game, Stefanski was asked at his press conference if Michael Penix will be ready to play against the Packers on Thursday night.
Stefanski said Penix has continued to progress as he tries to return to action after last season’s torn ACL, but that he had no updates on his condition.
“I don’t think now’s the time to know,” Stefanski said if Penix was in play for this week.
Rookie Jack Strand replaced Rush in the third quarter and looked like an undrafted rookie pressed into action, so the non-Penix options aren’t particularly appetizing for a team that is looking at their season getting away from them before September is over.
The Panthers scored 37 points and lost in Week 1, but they didn’t let a strong offensive performance go to waste this weekend.
Bryce Young threw for 204 yards and two touchdowns in the first half in Atlanta and the Panthers put the hammer down in the second half to head home with a 34-3 win over their NFC South rivals. Young’s first-half yardage was a career high and he added a third touchdown pass in the third quarter.
Young finished the day 23-of-36 for 287 yards and spread the ball around the entire offense. Tight end Darren Waller caught two touchdowns, running back Chuba Hubbard had the other while wideouts Tetairoa McMillan and Jalen Coker combined for 167 yards on 13 catches.
The defense forced four turnovers after being torn apart by Caleb Williams and the Bears in Week 1, although any proclamations that the unit has turned the corner should probably wait until the competition goes back up. Cooper Rush fumbled at the end of a scramble on the first play of the game and then threw two interceptions before being pulled for undrafted rookie Jack Strand.
Strand’s first pass was returned for a touchdown by linebacker Devin Lloyd and the rookie finished 8-of-15 for 59 yards before losing a fumble to end his first NFL action. Lloyd also picked off Rush and had a sack in a performance that showed why the Panthers made him an offseason target in free agency.
The Falcons have a quick turnaround for a Thursday night game in Green Bay and there’s hope that Michael Penix will be able to make his first appearance of the 2026 season. Tua Tagovailoa could also be deemed healthy enough to play and the Falcons will need to find someone who can give them a better chance to win than they’ve enjoyed through the first two weeks.
The Panthers will head to Cleveland to face a Browns team that’s faced plenty of quarterback questions of its own, so the defense may have a chance to get into a groove after their rough start to the year.
The Falcons have made a quarterback change in the third quarter of Sunday’s home game against the Panthers.
Undrafted rookie Jack Strand took over after Cooper Rush threw his second interception of the game on the previous Atlanta possession. The Panthers lead 27-3 with 4:27 left to play in the third.
Rush also lost a fumble on the first play of the game, so he’s up to five turnovers through less than six quarters of the season.
The Falcons play again on Thursday night and they’ll be hoping that Michael Penix is ready to make his return from last season’s torn ACL or that Tua Tagovailoa is cleared from an oblique injury. If not, Strand may be making his first NFL start.
The Panthers defense gave up 59 points last Sunday, but things have gone better on the defensive side of the ball through 30 minutes this weekend.
Falcons quarterback Cooper Rush lost a fumble and threw an interception on the first two offensive possessions, and the Panthers also thwarted a fourth down conversion try later in the half. All of that good work allowed them to get into halftime with a 20-3 lead on the road.
Rush’s fumble led to the only Panthers touchdown of the first half. Bryce Young moved the team inside the 10-yard-line with a third down strike to wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan and then hit running back Chuba Hubbard for a three-yard score.
A long punt return by Jalen Coker set the Panthers up in Falcons territory later in the first quarter, but the team settle for the first of three Ryan Fitzgerald field goals after their drive stalled out.
The Falcons finally got on the board with 1:07 left in the half, but Young found wide receiver Xavier Legette for a 55-yard gain to put the Panthers in scoring position. He then found tight end Darren Waller in the end zone with 20 seconds to play to extend the lead to 17 points at the break.
Young is 15-of-25 for 204 yards while Rush finished the half 9-of-14 for 80 yards. The Panthers will get the ball to open the third quarter of play in Atlanta. i1
The Falcons’ hopes for a fast start were dashed right out of the gate on Sunday.
Quarterback Cooper Rush scrambled on their first offensive play and then lost the ball while being tackled by Panthers linebacker Devin Lloyd. Panthers safety Nick Scott recovered the ball to set the Panthers up on the Atlanta 35-yard-line.
The Panthers picked up a key third down on a pass to Tetairoa McMillan and then scored on a Bryce Young toss to running back Chuba Hubbard in the end zone.
The score put Carolina up 7-0 with 10:48 left to play in the first quarter. Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell needed medical help to get off the field on the Panthers’ scoring drive, which is something to monitor as the game plays out.
Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow called it “ridiculous” to think he might miss Sunday’s game in Houston because of back tightness and he is active for the Week 2 matchup with the Texans.
Burrow’s health became a talking point this week when he was limited in practice on Wednesday and Thursday, but he returned to full practice on Friday. The Bengals still listed him as questionable for the team’s first road game of the season.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that Burrow felt normal while going through Friday’s practice, but was very sore earlier in the week. The Texans pass rush could exacerbate that soreness if they’re able to get to Burrow early in Sunday’s game.
Bengals at Texans
Bengals: WR Ke’Shawn Williams, CB Josh Newton, OL Connor Lew, DL BJ Hill, DL Landon Robinson, QB Josh Johnson, OL Myles Hinton
Texans: TE Brevin Jordan, WR Nico Collins, LB Jake Hummel, CB Collin Wright, G Ed Ingram, OT Nate Thomas, DE Jadeveon Clowney
Panthers at Falcons
Panthers: LB Pat Jones, TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, QB Haynes King, CB Chau Smith-Wade, LB Tyrel Dodson, OT Albert Reese, DT Bobby Brown
Falcons: QB Tua Tagovailoa, QB Michael Penix, DB Billy Bowman, DB Malcolm DeWalt, OL Ethan Onianwa
Saints at Ravens
Saints: RB Kendre Miler, QB Zach Wilson, DB Decamerion Richardson, LB Isaiah Stalbird, DL Christen Miller, OL Mason Murphy, DL John Ridgeway
Ravens: QB Joe Fagnano, WR Zay Flowers, G Andrew Vorhees, OT Gerad Lichtenhan, LB Teddye Buchanan, DL Nnamdi Madubuike
Vikings at Bears
Vikings: QB Kyler Murray, WR Jauan Jennings, DB Zemaiah Vaughn, DB Jakobe Thomas, OL Nick Samac, OL Caleb Tiernan, DL Elijah Williams
Bears: QB Case Keenum, DE Jamree Kromah, DT Jayden Loving, OT Ozzy Trapilo, OL Jordan McFadden
Steelers at Patriots
Steelers: CB Joey Porter Jr., WR Michael Pittman Jr., QB Drew Allar, QB Will Howard, G Gennings Dunker, DT Kevin Jobity, DT Gabriel Rubio
Patriots: CB Carlton Davis, OT Dametrious Crownover, OT Walter Rouse, TE Tanner Arkin, DL Leonard Taylor, QB Behren Morton
Packers at Jets
Packers: CB Benjamin St-Juste, OL John Williams, OL Travis Glover, DT Warren Brinson, DT Javon Hargrave
Jets: CB D’Angelo Ponds, S Minkah Fitzpatrick, K Blake Grupe, RB Kene Nwangwu, LB Joseph Ossai, LB Trevin Wallace
Browns at Buccaneers
Browns: QB Taylen Green, LB Justin Jefferson, S Daniel Thomas, CB Toriano Pride, C Parker Brailsford, G Teven Jenkins
Buccaneers: CB Ayden Garnes, CB Jacob Parrish, G Luke Haggard, G Billy Schrauth, DL DeMonte Capehart, DL Elijah Simmons
Eagles at Titans
Eagles: QB Tanner McKee, QB Cole Payton, WR Elijah Moore, LB Jonathan Greenard, G Micah Morris
Titans: CB Cor’Dale Flott, LB James Williams, OL Atonio Mafi, OL Brandon Crenshaw-Dickson, TE Kylen Granson, DT Jackie Marshall
