The Atlanta Falcons are spiraling; the team has lost five in a row, and with Michael Penix Jr.’s season officially over, they’ll be relying on Kirk Cousins to dig them out of this hole. This just had to happen the week the Falcons play that team from New Orleans.
When asked earlier this week if the offense will look any different with Cousins
under-center, Raheem Morris said things will look different. I found this comment interesting because we already saw the offense with Cousins against Miami, and it looked unchanged from the offense the team has been running since 2024.
The Dolphins game got away from the Falcons, but they didn’t come out playing any differently than they had all season. Most runs were from pistol, most passing plays were out of the gun. Sure, the Falcons ran five plays from under-center compared to their average of nearly zero, but that’s hardly a difference.
The idea that we’ll suddenly see a different offense doesn’t make sense. Last year, it was said the offense was already designed around what Cousins was comfortable doing, and the scheme hasn’t had a makeover with Penix in 2025. Let’s say we do see an under-center heavy offense on Sunday. Why has that taken so long to transpire? And what does that say about how these quarterbacks are managed?
Cousins’ usage has always been questionable; a quarterback who made a career out of operating under-center seemingly gets no opportunities to do so in Atlanta. The myth that it was because of his Achilles has been busted by the team’s continued lack of under-center play this year. On top of that, the Falcons passing attack isn’t designed around attacking the middle of the field, arguably the veteran’s best quality. That could lead one to believe that everything has been designed in Penix’s favor, which is problematic.
Yes, you want your quarterback to be comfortable, but not at the expense of their offense or own development. This season has revealed to me that the coaching staff has tried to take multiple shortcuts with Penix’s development. This is an uncomfortable league; you have to be able to win under uncomfortable circumstances. The more weaknesses you have, the easier you are to plan for. This staff has allowed Penix to avoid going under-center and to avoid throwing to the middle of the field. There are no shortcuts in this league; trying to hide or avoid weaknesses only makes them more glaring.
If the Falcons put on a performance that brings a tear to Mike Shanahan’s eyes, then Zac Robinson is going to have to explain why this hasn’t been an option the past 1.5 years, and I’m not sure there’s a reasonable explanation for it.
Not much changes if we see more of the same, but I’m more curious than ever to see if the Falcons have found their way. This offense turning the page during hate week would be something, but I’m not getting my hopes up.
