Who Should I Start? Sam Darnold or Michael Penix Jr.

Saturday, August 16, 10:48 AM

Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold led a touchdown drive on Seattle's opening drive during Friday's preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Darnold completed all four of his passes for 34 yards on a drive that ended in a touchdown run by running back Zach Charbonnet. The play calling provided Darnold with easy completions in an obvious effort to get him comfortable at game speed. Any quarterback can complete short passes. The question will be how much the Seahawks cut it loose downfield. However, Darnold was under center for much of the drive and was on the move for several of his throws. That type of play calling will cater to Darnold's strengths and take pressure off a questionable offensive line. If the Seahawks can play great defense and call plays similarly to Friday, Darnold will have a great chance to assuage the doubters this season.

Tuesday, August 12, 10:08 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will not play in the team's second preseason game on Friday, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi. Backup quarterback Kirk Cousins is also unlikely to play, although it has not been completely ruled out by the team. Neither Penix Jr. nor Cousins played in Atlanta's first preseason game against the Detroit Lions last Friday, leaving Easton Stick and Emory Jones to handle signal-calling duties. Penix Jr. has a long injury history dating back to his time in college, so it makes sense why the team would want to be cautious with him in the preseason despite his limited NFL experience as a starter (three games).