For the first time since the team entered the game 6-3, there is palpable excitement around the Atlanta Falcons. Earlier this week, the team announced that they would bench starting quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​in favor of rookie signal-caller Michael Penix Jr.

At 7-7, the team is one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but retains the tiebreaker if they had identical records after winning the series with their division rival.

The New York Giants come to Georgia hoping for a ray of sunshine, but expect the roof of Mercedes-Benz Stadium to be closed.

Big stage

Michael Penix Jr. is thrown into the fire with sky-high expectations and has playoff aspirations for his team. Kirk Cousins ​​​​will not play another game for the Birds unless he is injured. Under these circumstances, everything falls directly into the hands of Penix.

Luckily for Penix, the Falcons’ $90 million quarterback set the bar incredibly low in Atlanta’s 4-1 deficit.

Take risks

Penix was plagued by injuries for four years in Indiana before playing with the Washington Huskies. Arm talent was never a question when the Falcons took him No. 8 overall in April.

He throws a fantastic ball with great sensitivity, speed and accuracy. He also doesn’t have the risk-averse approach to the quarterback position that his predecessor did. Despite his accuracy, Kirk Cousins ​​didn’t seem to enjoy challenging defenses vertically.

Zac Robinson will call the first plays of Michael Penix’s career. Much like driving a sports car down the straightaway, the best answer is the most obvious: Giants starting cornerback Deonte Banks has a 74% completion rate and has given up six touchdowns with a 137.3 passer rating this season.

forecast

Regardless of whether the Giants start Drew Lock, Master Lock, or the Loch Ness Monster, New York will struggle offensively. For all their struggles in the passing game, the Falcons will be able to slow down a two-game offense against their third quarterback of the season for the second straight year.

While many games are close on paper, the Giants are playing as if the season is already over and they just want to play out the metaphorical ground ball.

After some initial nervousness and falls, Penix gets used to it and finds his rhythm. Having arguably the NFL’s best running back tandem to lean on will help. Bijan Robinson was on the rise and will eclipse 100 yards from scrimmage and score a touchdown against the Giants.

New York was able to lean on its pass rush early in the season, but injuries have reduced that threat. However, Atlanta still needs to keep an eye on its old friend Brian Burns. He had 4.5 sacks against the Falcons in 10 games with the Panthers.

Expect at least 275 yards and two touchdowns from Michael Penix as he settles in and finds his groove. Meanwhile, Malik Nabors caught seven passes and broke the 1,000-yard mark for the season. But the suddenly lively pass rush in Atlanta is making life difficult for the Giants.

Final result:
Falcons: 33
Giants: 19