The Atlanta Falcons made a quarterback change Sunday. Atlanta got mired in a rough game against the Carolina Panthers. The squad replaced Michael Penix Jr. with veteran gunslinger Kirk Cousins.
Cousins entered the contest with just under 11 minutes to go, per Falcons reporter Tori McElhaney.
Carolina was blowing out the Falcons by the time Cousins entered the game. Penix managed just 172 passing yards and two interceptions on the day.
Atlanta falls to 1-2 on the season, following a 30-0 loss. Carolina is now 1-2 on the season, posting their first victory of the campaign.
Falcons need to quickly regroup from this ugly game
Atlanta did not look like a good football team on Sunday. Penix made some bad decisions, as he completed just 50 percent of his passes on the day. Those interceptions also killed drives that the Falcons needed to keep the game competitive. One interception was returned for a pick-six.
Atlanta had an impressive win in Week 2 over the Minnesota Vikings. The complete implosion in Week 3 is certainly very distressing to Falcons fans. Cousins finished his limited appearance with five completions on seven attempts. He posted just 29 passing yards.
The Falcons out gained the Panthers in total yards on the day. That makes the loss even more baffling. Atlanta posted 333 total yards, while Carolina gained just 224. The Panthers also posted fewer passing yards, and rushing yards than Atlanta.
Turnovers simply sunk the Falcons. Atlanta also lost a fumble, and finished the day with three turnovers. Carolina committed just one. The Panthers were also able to win the time of possession battle.
The Falcons host the Washington Commanders in Week 4 of the NFL season.
