Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons chased the Chicago Bears all game on Sunday, and two Zachariah Branch return fumbles that gave the Bears 10 points only added to the deficit in a 31-23 loss at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The defeat dropped the Falcons to 2-4 overall and 0-3 at home, even after Penix finished 19-of-33 for 225 yards and three touchdowns, his first multi-touchdown game of the season.
The quarterback room behind Penix has its own recent history. Cooper Rush arrived July 29 as what general manager Ian Cunningham called an insurance policy, and he started the first two games while Penix recovered from a torn ACL and Tua Tagovailoa dealt with an oblique injury.
The Falcons lost both, with Rush throwing one touchdown against four interceptions.
On Monday, the Falcons signed 38-year-old Andy Dalton and released Rush, a move that followed the Philadelphia Eagles cutting the veteran, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The Eagles had acquired him from the Carolina Panthers in March, then watched him throw a goal-line interception in a 27-7 loss to the Bears before letting him go.
The Eagles reportedly tried to bring Dalton back, but he turned them down for the Falcons, where he joins Tagovailoa and rookie Jack Strand. If Penix stays healthy, the veteran is expected to remain on the sideline while he learns Kevin Stefanski’s offense.
The timing matters because the NFC South is there for the taking.
The Panthers lead at 3-2 after beating the Eagles, while the Falcons and New Orleans Saints share 2-4 records and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers sit at 1-5, though the Panthers already own a 34-3 win over the Falcons.
The Falcons will host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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