Emmanuel Acho doesn’t hold back on his feelings about Falcons’ decision to bench Kirk Cousins for Michael Penix Jr.
Washington Huskies alum Michael Penix Jr. reportedly starting for the Falcons against the NY Giants after benching veteran QB Kirk Cousins.
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Michael Penix Jr. Kirk Cousins, Emmanuel Acho (Image via Getty Images/Imago)
Emmanuel Acho, former player and a panelist on The Facility is all smiles about the Falcons’ decision. The Atlanta Falcons decided to bench 36-year-old quarterback Kirk Cousins despite a win over the Las Vegas Raiders in the last week.
After starting the season on a high note with six wins and just three losses, the Falcons fell from sky-high to the bleachers. The Falcons held a commendable top spot in their division before Baker Mayfield and his Buccanneers took it away. Now, as one should guess – the Falcons are once again scrambling for a playoff spot.
In the early games, Cousins had shown efforts – especially the two wins over the division rivals Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, as the former Falcons backup quarterback Kurt Benkert noted in a recent tweet – Cousins is playing like he’s a freshman in college. Benkert went on to admit that Cousins doesn’t look like he once did.
In the NFL Draft, the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. despite paying the big bucks for Kirk Cousins. The move was considered stupid and unplanned – however, in the wake of Kirk Cousins’s repeated interceptions and failure to deliver points against the big teams, they have been awarded a huge trophy in the other option.
Penix Jr. was an option from the beginning of the season. His role was to understudy Cosuins and learn the nuances of being a starting quarterback of an NFL team. Emmanuel Acho applauded the Falcons for making the right decision in the middle rather than seeing how things would play out otherwise.
.@EmmanuelAcho on the Falcons benching Kirk Cousins:
— The Facility (@TheFacilityFS1) December 18, 2024
“You drafted Michael Penix in the event Kirk got hurt…Well Kirk is playing like he’s hurt, so treat him like he’s hurt and bench him like he’s hurt.” pic.twitter.com/qU73nbGIOz
Acho admitted that Cousins is playing as if he got hurt. He detailed the four games without no touchdowns and a single TD win this week. There was a game where Cousins went as far as throwing four interceptions. He also highlighted the nine interceptions Cousins had in the last five weeks as well.
Well, Kirk Cousins is playing like he’s hurt. Eight interceptions, no touchdowns in the previous four games prior to last week, and then one interception, and one touchdown in last week’s game. You drafted him in the event Kirk got hurt, he’s playing like he’s hurt. Treat him like he’s hurt, bench him like he’s hurt.
Emmanuel Acho said
The Falcons’ decision to bench Kirk Cousins is a sign of adaptability
Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris expressed surprise at having to make a quarterback change despite his team’s solid performance earlier this season. Speaking during his Wednesday media availability, Morris acknowledged the unexpected nature of the decision.
We were playing extremely well. So I’d be telling you a story if I didn’t tell you I was surprised right now how the last couple of weeks have gone and how we haven’t been able to turn around and play a little bit better at the position in order to keep things going how we had.
Raheem Morris said
The Falcons recently ended a four-game losing streak, improving to 7-7, which keeps them in contention for the NFC South title. However, Morris noted that despite the victory, quarterback Kirk Cousins’ performance mirrored the struggles the team had experienced in recent weeks.
You got to adapt, you gotta adjust, you gotta persist. You got to deal and keep it moving, and that’s just what we’re doing.
Raheem Morris continued
Morris also revealed that Falcons owner Arthur Blank played a role in the decision to make the change. “Arthur Blank was involved,” Morris confirmed. The ROI of this decision will be seen as the Falcons charge their playoff push as they aim to turn things around and secure a spot in the postseason.
Related: Rob Gronkowski has high expectations from Bill Belichick for his UNC stint
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Mohammed Bazim
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