The Green Bay Packers got their first win of the season on Sunday after defeating the New York Jets 20-17 in overtime. It was an ugly performance, but you take the win. The NFL's schedule makers did them a favor, despite being on a short week. The Packers have their first home game of the season on Thursday night, where they host the winless Atlanta Falcons.
Even though the Packers have played poorly through the first two weeks of the season, they should be heavily favored against a Falcons team that has yet to reach the red zone. It has a lot to do with the quarterbacks they were running out this past couple of weeks.
They tried Cooper Rush as the starter for the first two games, but he couldn't do much to help them not only win games, but also keep the offense productive.
Michael Penix Jr. is returning for Week 3 against the Packers. He is coming off a season-ending knee injury. So, the mystery game is over for the Packers, as they now know who will be starting under center.
But, what can they expect from Penix?
Packers prepare for Michael Penix Jr., who hasn't shown yet to be the answer for Falcons
Back in 2024, the Falcons shocked the NFL world. After paying Kirk Cousins a massive contract in free agency, they used the eighth overall pick on Penix. At the time, Penix wasn't expected to get picked that high, and Atlanta wasn't expected to be in the market for a quarterback.
Plus, Penix was older coming out of college and had a pretty lengthy injury history. Hence why the Penix selection was ridiculed for months after the draft.
When Cousins didn't pan out for the Falcons, the team pivoted to Penix to be their starter. The thing is, he didn't exactly prove he was the answer under center. In 2024, Penix threw for 775 yards, three touchdowns, and three interceptions while completing 58.1 percent of his passes in five games (three starts).
In 2025, Penix was the undisputed starter. But in his ninth start of the season, he suffered a torn ACL, knocking him out for the remainder of the campaign. In those nine starts, Penix recorded 1,982 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and three interceptions on a 60.1 completion percentage.
The thing is, the Falcons were 3-6 with Penix as the starter. Cousins took over for the rest of the season, and he led Atlanta to five wins in eight starts.
Penix's resume thus far, paired with his injury recovery, resulted in the team adding Tua Tagovailoa this offseason, despite all the injuries he has dealt with.
Packers' best plan of attack will be to pressure Michael Penix Jr.
The best way for the Packers to pick up the win is for the defense to make Penix uncomfortable in the pocket.
This past Sunday, Green Bay's defense made New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith uncomfortable, with Lukas Van Ness recording nine pressures and 1.5 sacks. The Packers' defense sacked Smith four times for a loss of 29 yards. This was impressive, considering they are still without Micah Parsons.
Week 2 should be the blueprint for the Packers and defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon to follow in Week 3. Penix isn't the most mobile of quarterbacks when healthy and is mostly a pocket passer. He has a strong supporting cast around him, making it important for the Packers to generate pressure.
It's quite possible that the Falcons could rely heavily on running back Bijan Robinson, considering Penix is in his first game back from that knee injury. Slowing down the rushing attack is key. Force Penix to throw.
The Packers' offense should be able to handle the rest, especially in the passing game, with cornerback A.J. Terrell being placed on the injured reserve on Tuesday.
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