The Week 17 game between the Washington Commanders and the Atlanta Falcons will be broadcast in primetime. Schedulers moved the game to Sunday Night Football due to potential playoff implications. This should be an excellent setting for the team’s regular-season home finale.
They’ll also have to contend with a shocking situation involving the NFC South team.
Kirk Cousins, the former Washington quarterback, was scheduled to return to Northwest Stadium for another game. He will be making the trip. However, the veteran will be observing from the sidelines.
Commanders will meet Michael Penix Jr. on primetime in Week 17.
After a drop in performance in recent weeks, which saw the Falcons lose control of the NFC South to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, head coach Raheem Morris took dramatic measures. He indicated that Michael Penix Jr., a first-round pick, will begin moving forward.
Penix has yet to start an NFL game, and the Falcons are still in serious playoff position. Morris is hoping that the switch would inspire his team to a strong finish.
Cousins signed a lucrative contract in free agency before the Falcons selected Penix at No. 8 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. That was a significant surprise given the investment made in the former Michigan State standout. However, in desperate times, drastic methods are required.
The Commanders will have one game of NFL film on Penix when he faces the New York Giants this weekend. That doesn’t change the difficult situation that head coach Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. face.
Penix entered the league with some decent college output. He wasn’t the final thing, and there were injury worries, but leading the Washington Huskies to the NCAA football national championship game was an incredible feat.
Atlanta would not have made this step unless they believed Penix was prepared. Taking up a primetime game with possibly huge stakes in his second professional debut is a difficult prospect. The Commanders must make the newbie as miserable as possible in order to secure a precious victory.
Disguising coverages, utilising inventive blitz packages, and applying pressure with four-man fronts should be enough to compel Penix to make mistakes. At the professional level, things move faster and with finer margins. The commanders can take advantage of the signal-caller’s inexperience.
This adds yet another intriguing dimension to the contest. Jayden Daniels, the Commanders’ No. 2 pick as quarterback, is a proven rookie. Everyone knows what he is capable of. That is not the case with Penix, making this late switch a clear feast-or-famine situation for the Falcons.
It could work in the Commanders’ favour if they plan properly. However, given Penix’s arsenal, underestimating him would be a huge mistake.
Quinn and his crew are seasoned enough to change direction and make the required modifications. Increased mobility is the main issue, although the Commanders have enough explosiveness across their defence to negate Penix’s threat in this aspect.
The Commanders face a must-win game against the Falcons if they fail to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend. Penix is starting on an adventure into the unknown. With the playoffs approaching, Washington’s defence must confront him straight on.
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