ATLANTA (AP) — Michael Penix Jr. won his debut as Atlanta's starting quarterback , thanks largely to a defense that returned a pair of interceptions for touchdowns, and the Falcons bolstered their playoff hopes by handing the hapless New York Giants their franchise-record 10th straight loss, 34-7 on Sunday. Jessie Bates and Matthew Judon each had a pick-6 to carry Atlanta (8-7) to its second straight win after a four-game losing streak put its postseason hopes in jeopardy.
The Falcons came into the week a game behind Tampa Bay in the NFC South and holding the tiebreaker edge over the Buccaneers, who were playing Sunday night at Dallas . Penix, the No. 8 overall pick in this year's draft, got his first NFL start against the Giants (2-13) after the Falcons decided to bench turnover-prone Kirk Cousins, just nine months after signing him to a four-year, $180 million contract that included $100 million in guaranteed money.
The left-handed rookie was not overwhelmed by the moment, completing 18 of 27 passes for 202 yards — numbers that would've been better if not for at least three dropped passes, one of which Kyle Pitts bobbled right into the hands of a New York defender for Penix's lone interception. The defense made things even easier for the new starter, throttling a New York team that struggled to put anything together with Drew Lock returning as the starting QB after missing the previous week with a heel injury. With the Giants up 7-3 in the second quarter, Lock's pass fo.
