Not only did the Atlanta Falcons lose to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday, but they also suffered a pair of injuries that might sink their season.
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a potential season-ending knee injury in Sunday’s loss, ESPN reported, and he will be placed on injured reserve. Additionally, wide receiver Drake London suffered a PCL injury in the loss that’s expected to sideline him for at least one game, if not more, NFL Media reported.
Penix was enjoying a nice bounce-back performance Sunday from his uneven play in the Falcons’ loss to the Indianapolis Colts a week prior before he aggravated a bone bruise on his left knee early in the third quarter. The injury knocked Penix out of the game, with the Falcons losing 30-27 in overtime. The Falcons, who have lost five straight, were leading 21-16 at the time of Penix’s injury.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris did not have an update on Penix’s status immediately after the game. If Penix misses the rest of the season, Kirk Cousins would be in line to start Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints.
Penix — now in his second season, but his first as the Falcons’ full-time starting quarterback — has had an up-and-down season. He has completed 60.1% of his passes for 1,982 yards, nine touchdowns and three interceptions with an 88.5 passer rating as Atlanta has gone 3-6 in the nine games he has started.
London, meanwhile, suffered his injury toward the end of regulation. He has emerged as one of the game’s best wide receivers over the last month. Sunday was the third straight game that London recorded at least 100 receiving yards and the fifth time in six games that he has posted that many yards. London has 60 receptions for 810 yards and six touchdowns this season.
Cousins struggled in relief duty for Penix, finishing 6 of 14 for 84 yards and didn’t lead the Falcons into the end zone in five possessions.
“I would like to see him go out and get a win today,” Morris said of Cousins. “You know, he played some good ball, did some good things, but you know, you’ve got to go get a win. You know, it never feels good when you don’t win the football game.”
Penix was 13-for-16 for 175 yards in just over two quarters, a far cry from his numbers against the Colts in Germany, when he was 12-for-28 for 177 yards in what turned out to be another overtime loss for Atlanta.
On the Falcons’ opening possession of the third quarter, Penix was hit by Panthers safety Tre’von Moehrig just after he released the ball on third down and the ball fell incomplete. He started to walk off the field, then sat down and waited for the athletic training staff. Penix walked to the sideline under his own power and was examined in the injury tent.
When he came out of the tent, he sat down on the bench while Cousins talked with Falcons quarterbacks coach D.J. Williams.
“Your heart starts beating a little faster,” Cousins said.
The Falcons were able to kick two field goals on the five possessions with Cousins after scoring three touchdowns in the five possessions with Penix.
“It affects your play, your play calling, for sure, when you change quarterbacks,” Morris said. “So you got to do what that quarterback does well.”
Cousins took a deep shot in single coverage to London with 26 seconds remaining and the Falcons trailing 27-24. The pass fell incomplete, and Cousins said that would be one play that will be looked at in the film sessions.
“It might have been good, but we have to figure out how to make it great,” Cousins said. “Do I need more air? Do I back-shoulder? I’ll talk to Drake and the coaches. We’re trying to make a play and win the game right there.”
Morris said if Cousins is the starter against the Saints next week, he will have input on the offensive game plan. Cousins, who’s on the books for $40 million this season in the first of a four-year contract, is 32-for-52 (61.5%) for 286 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions coming off the bench this season.
“We’ll go find out what Kirk does well this week,” Morris said. “And so, you know, (offensive coordinator) Zac (Robinson) and those guys will work together, depending on what happens with with Michael, and we’ll be to figure those things out when we get closer to practice on Wednesday.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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