ATL Standard

The Atlanta Falcons have found themselves back at the top of the NFC South standings, thanks to a recent victory by the Dallas Cowboys over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With two games remaining in the regular season, both teams are vying for control of their division. The Falcons currently hold a 54% chance of winning the division according to Next Gen Stats, with upcoming games against the Commanders and Panthers. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers have a 46% chance as they prepare to face off against the Panthers and Saints.

A key topic among fans is whether head coach Raheem Morris waited too long to switch quarterbacks from Kirk Cousins to Michael Penix Jr. After a solid performance from Penix in last week's game against the Giants, questions arose about whether this change should have been made earlier.

Tori McElhaney addressed these concerns: "No, I do not, because we have the luxury of hindsight in this moment." She explained that while Cousins had some struggles during Weeks 10-15 when Atlanta lost four out of five games, it wasn't solely his fault. Morris believed Cousins deserved time to improve given his history and contract implications.

Michael Penix Jr.'s debut was notable for its clean execution on offense. McElhaney commented on his performance: "It had to be how clean the operation was as a whole." She highlighted that there were no procedural penalties or sacks taken by Penix during his first start, which helped maintain momentum for Atlanta's offense.

Fans also expressed interest in seeing more appearances of Atlanta's red helmets after positive results while wearing them. Tori McElhaney noted Jessie Bates' success in those helmets but added: "What makes something like the red helmets special is novelty... Keep them special!"

As discussions continue around quarterback decisions and uniform preferences among fans alike, all eyes remain focused on how these final games will determine playoff positions within NFC South.