Falcons vs. Packers: Three must-know storylines for Thursday’s Week 3 prime-time game
2) Is Michael Penix Jr. the hero the Falcons need? Penix is set to make his 2026 debut on Thursday, marking his first game back since tearing his left ACL last November. It’s a very welcome development for a team that averaged a league-low eight points and failed to reach the red zone with journeyman Cooper Rush starting the first two contests.
Penix was cleared for full participation in practice about a month ago, so he’s had time to gear up for his return to game action. It’s a huge season for the eighth overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, with Atlanta’s new brass facing a decision on whether to exercise the fifth-year option in his rookie deal next spring. He compiled a record of just 4-8 as a starter in his first two seasons, completing less than 60 percent of his passes and throwing for fewer than 200 yards per game.
Thursday will give Penix a chance to begin rewriting the narrative around his career, and the Packers are only one game removed from giving up 39 points to a Vikings offense that no one is confusing for a juggernaut. Penix might want to avoid falling into his habit of holding on to the ball for too long, though, going against the team with the third-highest pressure rate in the league (45.6%). Atlanta certainly has stockpiled an enviable collection of weapons at the skill positions, with RB Bijan Robinson, WR Drake London and TE Kyle Pitts all capable of performing at an All-Pro level, which leads me to my next point.
3) Will the Falcons utilize their pass catchers? Atlanta’s wide receivers and tight ends have combined for 17 catches, 173 receiving yards and zero touchdowns in 2026, all the fewest among the league’s WR/TE units through Week 2.
The aforementioned Pitts has only one catch for 15 yards, and he’s been targeted just four times. That’s a problem Atlanta offensive coordinator Tommy Rees acknowledged this week, telling reporters he has to do a better job of showcasing Pitts, who signed a contract extension this offseason that made him one of the highest-paid tight ends in the league. Perhaps the quarterback change will help in that regard, but Pitts has just two touchdown catches in the 12 games Penix has started.
Penix has the arm strength to give the offense the downfield passing game it lacked in the first couple weeks. Now it’s up to the coaching staff to exploit a Packers defense that ranks 28th in red-zone TD percentage allowed (85.7%).