Michael Penix Jr. had a lot on his plate this week. On Sunday, he made his debut as an NFL starter, leading the Atlanta Falcons to a win over the New York Giants. Later in the week, he got engaged. In a video posted to Instagram on Saturday,

Atlanta has competed in the NFC South race throughout the season, but Cousins struggled in the second half. The 36-year-old threw just one touchdown compared to nine interceptions over a five-game stretch prior to being benched, and the Falcons went 1-4 in those games.

What a stretch it has been Atlanta Falcons rookie Michael Penix Jr. First, it was announced he'd be taking over for veteran Kirk Cousins after the struggling starting quarterback threw one too many interceptions this season.

It's quite a time to be Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. Last Sunday, the 24-year-old rookie signal-caller won his first career start against the New York Giants, 34-7, and days later, became engaged to his girlfriend, Olivia Carter.

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Penix finished 18-for-27 for 202 yards, no touchdowns and a deflected interception. Two pick sixes by the defense helped a lot.

The Kirk Cousins fiasco for the Atlanta Falcons led to a $180 million decision, and the winner was Michael Penix Jr. and the Falcons. So far.

Michael Penix Jr. steps in as Falcons' QB, aiming to energize their playoff run after Kirk Cousins' struggles. Find out more about him here.

The Atlanta Falcons kept rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in bubble wrap during the preseason, so it'll be trial by fire against the New York Giants on Sund

The Atlanta Falcons are turning to rookie Michael Penix Jr. as their starting quarterback and benching veteran Kirk Cousins as they fight for their first playoff berth since 2017.