EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Giants defensive coordinator Shane Bowen was beginning to construct his gameplan in his office Tuesday evening when he received a text from line coach Andre Patterson with news that led to the team's first audible of the week. Rookie Michael Penix, Jr. was replacing 13-year veteran Kirk Cousins as the Atlanta Falcons' starting quarterback for the teams' game Sunday in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

"Dre texted me and then our personnel guy came down as well, and then it was, 'Let's go watch the (University of) Washington tape," Bowen said today. "It's how it goes. We had preliminarily done some game-planning stuff and were through some of that, and then you go back and revisit it and see where you're at. We probably spent a little bit more time, obviously, compared to other weeks just because we had to go back and make sure we were doing what we wanted in relation to him instead of Cousins."

The two quarterbacks couldn't be more different. Penix is a 24-year-old lefthanded passer who has played 20 snaps and thrown five passes in two brief appearances at the end of blowout losses. Cousins, 36, has played in 169 regular-season and postseason games and thrown 5,785 passes and run for another 960 yards.

But in the last five games, he has thrown nine interceptions and one touchdown pass, and that was in the first quarter Monday night, when Atlanta scraped by the Las Vegas Raiders, 15-9. The Falcons used a conservative attack, running the ball 37 times – including on 23 of 24 first downs – and limited Cousins to just 17 passes as they broke a four-game losing streak.

With his team at 7-7 and still in contention to win the NFC South title or earn a wild card playoff berth, Atlanta coach Raheem Morris announced Tuesday that Penix will start against the Giants. That prompted Bowen and his staff to shred some of their initial plans for this week.

"He can sling it," Bowen said of Penix, who threw for 9,544 yards and 67 touchdowns in his two seasons at Washington. "I think you go back and watch the accuracy down the field, throwing the ball down the field. He puts it in places receivers can catch it. We're going to have to do a good job making sure we defend the deep part of the field because I think he's going to take his chances throwing it, launching it. But he's got a really strong arm, good accuracy and I would say, specifically, on the deep ball."

Penix ran for 524 yards in six college seasons, including four at Indiana University. Cousins has zero rushing yards this season and 122 total in the last three years. Bowen said the Giants' defense must be prepared for Penix to try to gain yards with his feet as well as his arm.

"I don't think he's like (Baltimore quarterback) Lamar (Jackson, who rushed for 65 yards against the Giants last week)," said Bowen. "I don't think they're going to be doing all that with him. But he can run. If there's space, he's going to take off. He's going to be able to gain some yards. So, got to do a good job. Can't give him big rush lanes down the middle for him to take and make it inviting for him. There's obviously a little bit more mobility than what they had there previously. We got to be good, be coordinated, make sure we're all on the same page and not give him any inviting seams."

Penix will be supported by an impressive array of offensive weapons. Wide receivers Drake London (79 catches, 919 yards, seven touchdowns) and Darnell Mooney (57-873-5) are the only NFL teammates with 50+ receptions each, 850+ yards and 5+ receiving touchdowns in 2024.

"You look across their roster, there's a lot of first and second-round draft picks on that offense," Bowen said. "Mooney's explosive, able to create, able to get open. I think he's a really good receiver and he's having a big year for them. London, if the ball's around him, he's going to come down with it more times than not. The catch radius is there. When he's covered, he's really not covered. Another guy we're just gonna have to fight through the down and do our best to disrupt the ball and hopefully we're able to play the ball before it gets to him, because if it gets to him, it's gonna be tough."

Running back Bijan Robinson has 10 games with 100 or more scrimmage yards, second in the NFL to Saquon Barkley's 11. In 2023, Bowen's Tennessee Titans' defense held Robinson to 62 rushing yards and without a reception (he has 54 this year). But Bowen can't assume Robinson will again be held in check like that.

"It's going to start with the running game," Bowen said. "(Robinson) is a really, really good player – dynamic, can take it the distance at any moment. And he's a factor right now with the checkdown stuff that he's gotten. He's able to create with the ball in his hands as well and obviously they have (tight end Kyle) Pitts) and how they want to utilize him. How that might change, we'll see.

"But they're talented. We've gotta be locked in. Gotta do a good job to hopefully affect this quarterback where some of those weapons don't have as big an impact as they've had."

*The Giants and Miami Dolphins are the only NFL teams to have four different quarterbacks throw at least 20 passes apiece this season. Tim Boyle, who played the second half against the Ravens, is one of the four players for both the Giants and Dolphins. The Giants have also started three different quarterbacks for the second season in a row.

"I think it's part of the business, it's part of football," offensive coordinator Mike Kafka said when asked about the "carousel of quarterbacks." "Really, it happens at every position, whether it's offensive line, whether it's receiver, those things happen. So, you've just got to be really prepared and making sure we're staying on top of not just the starters, but we're prepping the backups. We're prepping those guys that are kind of two, three, four down the line. It's part of our development program with getting young players that are maybe practice squad guys, getting those guys up to date and up to speed. That's really part of being a coach, and it happens. It's unfortunate. You obviously don't want those type of things to happen, but when they do, you've got to work through it."

*The five players who did not practice today were the same who sat out yesterday: linebackers Bobby Okereke (back), Brian Burns (ankle/neck), and Patrick Johnson (knee); guard Aaron Stinnie (concussion protocol); and cornerback Greg Stroman (shoulder/shin).

Coach Brian Daboll said Burns, "should be ready to go for the game."

Six players who were limited yesterday practiced fully today: quarterback Drew Lock (heel/left elbow), wide receivers Malik Nabers (knee/foot) and Wan'Dale Robinson (shoulder), tight end Chris Manhertz (ankle), defensive lineman Cory Durden (shoulder), and safety Dane Belton (knee).

Those still limited were quarterback Tommy DeVito (concussion, non-contact), running back Tyrone Tracy (ankle), center John Michael Schmitz (ankle), defensive lineman Rakeem Nunez-Roches (neck/shoulder), and defensive backs Tae Banks (rib), Cor'Dale Flott (quad/finger), Dru Phillips (shoulder), and Art Green (shoulder).