ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Falcons are turning to rookie Michael Penix Jr. as their starting quarterback and benching veteran Kirk Cousins as they fight for their first playoff berth since 2017.
Coach Raheem Morris announced the decision in a statement Tuesday night.
“After review we have made the decision Michael Penix Jr. will be the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback moving forward,” Morris said. “This was a football decision and we are fully focused on preparing the team for Sunday’s game against the New York Giants.”
The Falcons (7-7) ended a four-game losing streak with Monday night's ugly 15-9 win at Las Vegas. Cousins passed for 112 yards with one touchdown — his first TD pass in five games — and one interception. The 36-year-old has thrown nine picks over the past five games and leads the NFL with 16 interceptions.
Atlanta signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in the offseason with $100 million guaranteed before selecting Penix No. 8 overall in the NFL draft.
Cousins ended his touchdown drought with a 30-yard scoring pass to Drake London in the first quarter but had few other highlights against the woeful Raiders.
“It’s not where I want to be," he said of his performance. “There’s a lot of room for improvement and we’d like to finish a lot stronger here these last three weeks.”
The Falcons made the switch about three hours after Morris told reporters he wasn't ready to make a decision on this week's starter.
“We talked about it last night,” Morris said. “You know, there’s no secret. We didn’t play well enough at the quarterback position, and we’ve got to find ways to play better. So, all those things over the course of the week and we’ve got to do whatever is best to win versus the Giants.”
The quarterback move comes with the Falcons still contending for the NFC South title. Atlanta is one game behind division-leading Tampa Bay, but the Falcons hold the tiebreaker advantage.
Penix has appeared in only two games, completing 3 of 5 passes for 38 yards. He was the Heisman Trophy runner-up in 2023, when he passed for 4,903 yards with 36 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for Washington.
Cousins had a strong start to the season, leading the Falcons to a 6-3 start and first place in the division. He has completed 66.9% of his passes, exactly matching his standard for his 13-year career. He has passed for 3,508 yards but has an unhealthy ratio of 18 touchdown passes to 16 interceptions.
Morris acknowledged it appeared Cousins' confidence has been shaken by his recent struggles.
“I’m not trying to sugarcoat this thing for him,” Morris said. “He’s not trying to sugarcoat it for himself. ... When you go through the stress that we’re going through right now, you’re not going to have that same confidence and the same swagger that you had in the first, two months or three months, whatever it was, of the season.”
Morris has consistently said the plan was for Cousins to handle the job this season while Penix prepared to take over at some point in the future. Morris was reluctant to veer from than plan before Tuesday night, though he said earlier in the day he saw no downside if he chose to start Penix.
The first-year coach has praised the way Penix has handled the backup role.
“You could never say there’s a downside to turn it over to somebody that you put a lot of investment into, somebody that you brought in here, somebody you’ve done some things with, somebody that’s done nothing but the right thing since they’ve been here,” Morris said.
Morris added he was "just being really smart and cautious in how we go about our business” in sticking with Cousins through his recent struggles.
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Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins recovers a bad snap during the second half of an NFL football game against the Las Vegas Raiders, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) greets Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder (10) after an NFL football game, Monday, Dec. 16, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congressional leaders have unveiled a stopgap spending bill that will keep the federal government funded through March 14 and provide more than $100 billion in emergency aid to help states and local communities recover from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and other natural disasters.
The measure would prevent a partial government shutdown set to begin after midnight Friday. It would kick final decisions on this budget year's spending levels to a new Republican-led Congress and President-elect Donald Trump. The continuing resolution generally continues current spending levels for agencies.
Passage of the measure is one of the final actions that lawmakers will consider this week before adjourning for the holidays and making way for the next Congress. It's the second short-term funding measure the lawmakers have taken up this fall as they struggled to pass the dozen annual appropriations bills before the new fiscal year began Oct. 1, as they typically do.
The bill will provide $100.4 billion in disaster relief, with an additional $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers struggling with low commodity prices and high input costs.
“We have to be able to help those who are in these dire straits,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters.
Net farm income is projected to decline 4.1% this year after falling 19.4% the year before from the record highs reached in 2022. Johnson indicated more farm aid could be delivered in the next Congress, saying “we can't do all it right now.”
“Congress is doing the best it can under difficult circumstances, and I think it will be a big boost for the industry,” Johnson said.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said the agreement was “free of cuts and poison pills,” and would provide money for Democratic priorities like child care, workforce training and job placement.
“With this agreement, we are now on our way to avoiding a government shutdown," Schumer said.
Rep. Glenn Thompson, the Republican chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, said he was hoping for more economic relief for farmers, but “it’s a great start.”
“I think it’s going to send the right signal to the markets that most farmers and ranchers are going to be able to get eligible for the credit they need to borrow in order to plant a crop or raise a herd,” Thompson said.
President Joe Biden has sought about $114 billion in disaster aid, submitting a $99 billion request in November, telling lawmakers the funding was “urgently needed.” The administration subsequently updated its request to include funding to repair federal facilities damaged due to natural disasters.
The largest share of the money, about $29 billion, will go to the main disaster relief fund at the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The fund helps with debris removal, repairing public infrastructure and providing financial assistance to survivors. About $21 billion goes to help farmers who have experienced crop or livestock losses.
Another $8 billion will go to help rebuild and repair highways and bridges in more than 40 states and territories. And some $12 billion would go toward helping communities recover through block grants administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. About $2.2 billion would go to low-interest loans for businesses, nonprofits and homeowners trying to rebuild after a disaster.
“While this is not the legislation I would have written on my own, it is a strong, bipartisan package that provides the resources communities urgently need to recover,” said Sen. Patty Murray, the Democratic chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Congress is expected to pass the measure just before another shutdown deadline. House Republicans generally give lawmakers 72 hours to review text of the legislation, which would push a vote on final passage to Friday if they follow through on that rule. The Senate is not known for acting speedily, but many lawmakers are anxious to adjourn for the year and make way for the next Congress.
Since the bill is the last must-pass legislation of the current Congress, lawmakers have worked to get certain priorities included. On the health care front, the legislation seeks to extend coverage of telehealth appointments for Medicare enrollees and rein in how much money pharmacy benefits managers — the companies that negotiate how and what drugs are covered by insurance plans — make off those deals.
The bill also includes provisions focused on countering China, including expanding on a Biden executive order that seeks to restrict investments into countries that pose a national security threat to the United States. Blocking China’s high-tech ambitions is one of the few issues that enjoys broad support in Washington from both Republicans and Democrats.
There's also a provision to transfer the land that is the site of the old RFK Stadium from the federal government to the District of Columbia, which could potentially lead to a new stadium for the Washington Commanders.
The legislation also provides full federal funding to rebuild Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, which collapsed when struck by a cargo ship that reported losing power just before the crash. Federal taxpayers will be reimbursed through proceeds from insurance payments and litigation.
Associated Press staff writers Stephen Groves and Amanda Seitz contributed to this report.
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., arrives for a closed-door strategy session with fellow Republicans as they work on a final version of a spending bill before federal agencies run out of money at midnight on Friday night, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., pauses as he enters a closed-door strategy session with fellow Republicans as they work on a final version of a spending bill before federal agencies run out of money at midnight on Friday night, at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks to reporters at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Dec. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
