“The light at the end of the tunnel for us, despite how bad and poor we played on defense or anywhere is the quarterback,” Morris said. “Michael Penix is certainly outstanding. He certainly one of the guys that's going to play in this league and absolutely dominate for us as long as we allow him.”

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris gave massive props to Michael Penix Jr. after season-ending loss to the Carolina Panthers.

Trusting Atlanta's judgement The same front office that drafted Penix didn't trust the quarterback enough to give him the reins. Atlanta signed Kirk Cousins

Michael Penix Jr. has shown enough in three games to spark that kind of confidence; however, Raheem Morris has no business leading this football team. Instead of standing on his own merit ...

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris: “The light at the end of the tunnel for us, despite how bad and poor we played on defense or anywhere is the quarterback. … Michael Penix is certainly outstanding. He certainly one of the guys that’s going to play in this league and absolutely…

Finally, head coach Raheem Morris benched Cousins for rookie Michael Penix Jr. in Week 16. The Falcons offense took a major leap with Penix under center, but they still finished with an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season.

FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Michael Penix Jr. will make his third start for the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It probably will be the final start of his rookie season, but that’s enough for head coach Raheem Morris to feel validated for selecting Penix eighth in last year’s draft.

Even with the Falcons missing out on the postseason for the seventh straight year, though, there was a feeling of optimism after this loss—largely because of Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons rookie ...