Prior to Week 3, the Atlanta Falcons had yet to receive any calls for backup quarterback Kirk Cousins. That may have turned out to be a good thing for Atlanta.

With the Falcons trailing 27-0, the team turned to Cousins in the final quarter of the contest. Cousins immediately completed five of his first seven passes before failing to complete a fourth down. Carolina eventually won, 30-0, with Cousins finishing with 29 passing yards on those five completions in seven attempts.

The decision to put Cousins in the game came after starter Michael Penix Jr. threw his second interception of the contest. Penix was removed after completing 18 of 36 passes for 172 yards. He threw two interceptions and no touchdowns in the contest.

It marked the second straight game in which Penix has failed to put up big numbers. During the team’s Week 2 win over the Minnesota Vikings, Penix completed 13 of 21 passes for 135 yards and no turnovers.

After the contest, Morris said the decision to put Cousins in the game was due to the score, not because Penix was benched. Morris said he wanted to keep his main offensive threats healthy. When asked whether Cousins would get a shot at the starting job, Morris replied with a terse “no.”