Who Should I Start? Jared Goff or Michael Penix Jr.

Friday, November 28, 11:06 AM

Once star Detroit Lions wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown (ankle) went down with an ankle injury in the first quarter of Detroit's Week 13 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, Lions quarterback Jared Goff looked like he might be heading towards a disastrous day. However, the 31-year-old bounced back nicely in a tough matchup, completing 20 of 26 pass attempts for 256 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. With the Lions offense down multiple starters on the offensive line and now without its top two pass-catchers in St. Brown and tight end Sam LaPorta (back), Goff will have to shoulder more of the playmaking workload in Detroit. Goff has typically struggled in that role throughout his career, but his performance against Green Bay could be considered a positive sign that he can keep the Lions' offense afloat through its injury woes. In Week 14, Goff will face a Dallas Cowboys defense that looks much more formidable after its trade deadline additions.

Wednesday, November 26, 1:06 PM

Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said on Wednesday that quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (knee) had successful surgery on his knee on Tuesday, according to D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Penix had full reconstructive surgery to fix a partially torn ACL in his left knee, which will keep him out for the rest of this season and possibly for the start of the 2026 season next fall. The 25-year-old second-year signal-caller is facing a nine-month recovery, which will force Atlanta to rethink its long-term plan at the QB position this offseason. This is Penix's third ACL reconstruction in his career after he had two knee surgeries in college. Kirk Cousins will start the rest of the year under center for the Falcons, but depending on how he finishes the season, the Falcons could opt out of the final two seasons of his four-year deal.