The Atlanta Falcons plugging veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins back into the offense was a great test for fans to find out exactly what was so broken in the unit. Multiple times this season, if star back Bijan Robinson wasn't at his best, the offense completely collapsed. It happened against the San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers, leaving questions about how the offense would respond to Cousins being put back into the lineup. Now, there is no debate about how much Penix is doing for the Falcons' lineup after watching the alternative.
Running the same offense, Cousins was lifeless and unable to push the ball past the sticks. Aside from one nice throw to Kyle Pitts, it never felt like the offense was a threat to a previously inept Dolphins defense. Answering a lot of questions about Atlanta's young quarterback and just how much he has been elevating the offense. It is clear that the two weeks the unit struggled weren't on the shoulders of Penix, but a coaching staff that could offer no counters when Robinson was unable to put the team on his shoulders.
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Watching just how incapable the offense was under the leadership of Cousins was a reminder of a lack of creativity. With Darnell Mooney, Pitts, and Robinson all in the lineup, there should've been far more than 10 points scored against one of the league's worst defensive units. It was a chance to glimpse just how much of an impact Penix has had and raised some obvious questions for the offensive coordinator.
Zac Robinson was celebrated a season ago, but has done a lot of damage to his reputation early on this season. For three weeks, the offense offered no answers to an opposing defense that was previously abused. The Panthers, Dolphins, and 49ers have all struggled defensively this season and appeared to be Super Bowl-level units against Atlanta's offensive attack.
Sunday served as proof that this failure isn't on the quarterback, but poor coaching and a lack of proper preparation. The Falcons must do a better job setting Penix and a talented offense up with the fan base turning up the heat.
Penix hasn't been perfect this season, but he has proven himself capable of making every needed throw. The quarterback simply isn't being given a great gameplan. Atlanta's only answer appears to be hoping Bijan Robinson goes off and puts the offense on his back. While this is very possible based on the immense talent, it isn't maintainable when an opposing defense understands this is your only plan with no fallback.
Sunday's loss illustrated this, as well as pointing out just how great Penix has been at elevating the offense. Nothing like a Cousins start to grow appreciation for your starting quarterback and the bright road ahead.