Penix and the Falcons at Daniels and the Commanders in prime-time meeting of 1st-round rookie QBs

Atlanta (8-7) at Washington (10-5)

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EST, NBC

BetMGM NFL odds: Commanders by 4

Against the spread: Falcons 7-8; Commanders 9-6

Series record: Washington leads 18-10-1

Last meeting: Commanders beat Falcons 24-16 on Oct. 15, 2023, at Atlanta.

Last week: Falcons beat Giants 34-7; Commanders beat Eagles 36-33.

Falcons: overall (9), rush (12), pass (6), scoring (19)

Falcons defense: overall (13), rush (12), pass (21), scoring (19)

Commanders offense: overall (5), rush (3), pass (16), scoring (4)

Commanders defense: overall (10), rush (29), pass (4), scoring (18)

Turnover differential: Falcons minus-5; Commanders plus-2

Rookie QB Michael Penix Jr. made his first NFL start in easy mode at home against the Giants. The difficulty level rachets up at Washington, and the Commanders have a legitimate pass rush led by Dante Fowler Jr. Penix can rely on Bijan Robinson again, but may need to make some harder throws to get the job done this time.

RB Brian Robinson Jr. fumbled twice against Philadelphia and has just one touchdown over the past four games. Daniels put the Commanders on his back last weekend working out of empty formations often, but Kliff Kingsbury's offense is predicated on running the ball to set up the pass and Austin Ekeler remains on injured reserve because of a concussion, so it's Robinson's show on the ground.

Commanders rookie QB Jayden Daniels vs. the Falcons' pass defense. Atlanta returned two interceptions for a touchdown and forced Drew Lock to fumble last week. Daniels is coming off throwing five TD passes to rally Washington and end Philadelphia's winning streak at 10 games. Prime time has not fazed Daniels so far, and it's worth wondering what his next trick will be.

Falcons: CB Antonio Hamilton left the Giants game with a quadriceps injury. ... CB Kevin King has a concussion.

Commanders: CB Marshon Lattimore, who missed more than a month with a hamstring injury, is again dealing with a hamstring injury. ... RT Andrew Wylie (groin) and WR Dyami Brown (hamstring) left the Eagles game in the fourth quarter. ... DT Jonathan Allen could return more than two months after surgery to repair a torn pectoral muscle, which was originally thought to be season-ending.

Washington has won the past three meetings. These teams are playing for a fourth consecutive season. ... This is the first prime-time game in NFL history between two rookie QBs selected in the first round. Daniels was the No. 2 pick and Penix No. 8. ... The Falcons benched former Washington QB Kirk Cousins, a 2012 fourth-rounder, before Week 16 in favor of Penix. ... The Commanders can clinch a playoff berth with a win or a loss by Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers host Carolina on Sunday afternoon. ... Washington is 10-5 for the first time since 1991. The organization last won 11 games in 1987. Each of those seasons ended with a Super Bowl championship. ... Commanders coach Dan Quinn led Atlanta to the Super Bowl in the 2016 season. He is facing the Falcons for the first time since they fired him in 2020. Falcons coach Raheem Morris worked on Quinn's staff from 2015-20 and was the interim replacement four years ago. Morris also was an assistant with Washington from 2012-14 and interviewed for the job Quinn now has before getting hired by Atlanta.

Penix completed 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards last week. ... Robinson ran for 94 yards and two TDs against the Giants. Adding his two catches for 9 yards, it was his fourth consecutive game with 100 or more yards from scrimmage. ... WR Drake London is 22 yards receiving from his first 1,000-yard season. Darnell Mooney is 45 away from reaching that mark for the second time. ... LB Matthew Judon and S Jessie Bates had the pick-6s off Lock. Judon's interception was the first of his career. Bates had an INT in his previous game at Washington, Nov. 22, 2020, when playing for Cincinnati. ... LB Kaden Elliss has a career-high 131 tackles. Only seven players in the league have more. ... The Commanders beat the Eagles despite turning the ball over five times. ... Daniels has been selected rookie of the week 10 times. His five TD throws against Philadelphia, including his second to Jamison Crowder with 6 seconds left, made up for his two picks. ... WR Terry McLaurin has surpassed 1,000 yards receiving for a fifth season in a row. He had 919 in 14 games as a rookie in 2019 and missed two because of injury. ... Crowder and WR Olamide Zaccheaus each had two TD catches last week. .... Zach Ertz is 28 yards receiving away from becoming the ninth tight end to 8,000. ... LB Frankie Luvu intercepted Kenny Pickett last week. ... LB Bobby Wagner leads Washington with 118 tackles.

If you need any Commanders receiver to help you win your league other than McLaurin, good luck. Especially since Noah Brown went down, it's anyone's guess who Daniels will target beyond “Scary Terry,” who is justifiably terrifying to opponents.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels speaks to members of the media after an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels (5) throwing the ball before the start of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, in Landover, Md. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) throws the ball in the second half of an NFL football game against the New York Giants in Atlanta, Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

NEW DELHI (AP) — Authorities in India have declared a seven-day mourning period to honor Manmohan Singh, officials said Friday, as politicians and public paid tributes to the country’s former prime minister widely regarded as the architect of India’s economic reform program.

Officials canceled all cultural and entertainment events for the week, with government buildings flying the national flag at half staff across India. Singh, who died late Thursday at age 92, is scheduled to be cremated on Saturday.

Singh's body was put in a glass casket, adorned with flowers and wrapped in the Indian flag, as leaders and mourners paid their respects. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited his home and offered condolences to his family.

Later, Modi in a video message said Singh’s life “was a reflection of his honesty and simplicity.”

“He saved the country from an economic crisis by providing a road towards a new economy. As a prime minister, his contribution towards the development and progress of the country will always be remembered,” Modi said.

A mild-mannered technocrat, Singh was prime minister for 10 years and leader of the Congress Party in the Parliament’s upper house, earning a reputation as a man of great personal integrity. He was chosen to fill the role in 2004 by Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Singh was reelected in 2009, but his second term as prime minister was clouded by financial scandals and corruption charges over the organization of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. This led to the Congress Party’s crushing defeat in the 2014 national election by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party under the leadership of Narendra Modi.

Singh adopted a low profile after relinquishing the post of prime minister.

FILE - Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, center, gestures after a short meeting with the newly elected office bearers of "National Students' Union Of India" (NSUI), who called on him at his residence in New Delhi, India, Tuesday, March 17, 2015. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal, File)

FILE - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh speaks during the 68th session of the General Assembly at United Nations headquarters, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2013. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

FILE - Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh greets the crowd during an election campaign rally at Khumtai, in the northeastern Indian state of Assam, Saturday, March 29, 2014. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath, File)

FILE - Indian Prime Minster Manmohan Singh addresses a press conference, in New Delhi, India, Friday, Jan. 3, 2014. (AP Photo/Harish Tyagi, Pool, File)