On the first play of his first NFL start, Michael Penix Jr. made a statement... on a medium-length incompletion intended for Ray Ray McCloud. It wasn't that Penix failed to connect with McCloud, even if the throw was a dart to the sideline that sliced through coverage

The Atlanta Falcons are beginning a new era on Sunday, as rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will make his first NFL start on Sunday vs. the New York Giants. Atlanta is benching veteran Kirk Cousins with the NFC South in the balance,

Cousins, who is in the first season of a four-year, $180 million contract that included $90 million guaranteed at signing, was benched by the Falcons on Tuesday.