Should I Start Michael Penix Jr.?

Saturday, October 17, 7:37 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (ribs) was a full participant in practice all week, and the rib injury that caused him to miss the end of last week's contest doesn't look like it will affect his ability to suit up in Week 6. The left-handed quarterback has been solid-yet-unspectacular in the three games since his return from injury, averaging 240 yards per game passing and posting a 3:1 TD:INT over that span. Week 6 brings a home matchup against a banged-up Bears defense that has limited opposing teams to just 179.8 yards per game through the air, but will be without some key pieces on defense this week, with LB T.J. Edwards (hamstring), DE Dayo Odeyingbo (quadriceps), and DE Montez Sweat (suspended) all set to miss this one. The Falcons have averaged over 34 points per game with Penix under center, but while the injuries could open things up in the pass game, expect the 26-year-old to lean on the team's strong ground attack when close to the end zone. It leaves the third-year pro as a low-end QB2 this week, with some sneaky upside if Atlanta decides to exploit the missing Bears defenders.