ATLANTA, Ga. — The Atlanta Falcons became the first team in NFL history to have four different quarterbacks throw an interception within each player’s first 10 pass attempts of a season during Sunday night’s 30-23 overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Tua Tagovailoa, Cooper Rush, Jack Strand and Michael Penix Jr. all appear in that grim ledger after a year of quarterback turnover that began with Tagovailoa winning the job in camp and later giving way to Penix as the primary starter.
Tagovailoa entered briefly Sunday and threw an interception on just three pass attempts, helping complete the historic sequence even as Penix handled most of the snaps.
Penix finished 19 of 32 for 240 yards and a touchdown, Drake London caught seven passes for 118 yards, and Bijan Robinson rushed for 86 yards, but Atlanta could not close out a game it led into the fourth quarter.
Baltimore’s Tyler Huntley directed a late tying drive and then scored in overtime, After Sunday’s loss, Atlanta is now 2-3 and searching for stability under center after the unusual statistical milestone.
Statewide game coverage from Mercedes-Benz Stadium noted that Penix was limited by a rib injury late and that Tagovailoa’s overtime interception ended the contest, underscoring how unsettled the position remains for first-year coach Kevin Stefanski.
Franchise officials and fans alike would rather forget the four-quarterback interception mark, a record born of necessity rather than design in a season that has already featured multiple changes at the game’s most important spot.
Atlanta hosts the Chicago Bears next with Penix saying he intends to be ready, while the rest of the NFC South watches whether the Falcons can stop inventing new ways to lose leads and quarterbacks in the same night.
