Commanders Week 17 Opponent Falcons Have Made a Massive Change

The Washington Commanders will host the Atlanta Falcons in Week 17, but it won't be the same version of the team we've seen for the first 15 weeks of the season.

Aug 9, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) drops back to pass against the Miami Dolphins in the second quarter during preseason at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons have made a massive decision just two weeks before they're set to visit the Washington Commanders in a game that could have big playoff implications.

The NFL obviously believes the Week 17 matchup between the Falcons and Commanders will be huge, as evidenced by the league flexing that game to next Sunday night.

However, what was once going to be a game featuring quarterback Kirk Cousins returning to face the Washington franchise that drafted him into the league will now likely be the second career start for rookie Michael Penix Jr. after he was announced as the team's Week 16 starter this weekend against the New York Giants.

Aug 9, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) drops back to pass against the Miami Dolphins in the second quarter during preseason at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

"I look up to Kirk," Penix said in his first press conference after the news broke. "In my eyes, Kirk can do no wrong... He's special."

That's a great first step for a rookie quarterback who was getting a hot dog at Costco when he found out he'd get his first NFL start this weekend. But his message was also one of understanding that the team needs to be in a better position that it is, and that the fans who have been calling for this decision for weeks now deserve better.

“I feel like we got the best fans in the league, so I feel like we should always put on a show for them," he said. "I gotta find a way to connect with the fans and for us it’s about winning football games. That’s what everyone wants to see.”

What Commanders fans want to see is a potentially playoff-berth clinching win over the Philadelphia Eagles this weekend, making next week's game against the Falcons a little less intriguing, but no less fun to witness the beginning of Penix's NFL career as a starting quarterback.

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