Giants defense scrapped its Falcons plan thanks to Michael Penix QB swap

The Giants began defensive preparations for Sunday’s game expecting to face a right-handed pocket passer with 169 games of NFL experience. Instead, they will face a left-handed rookie with better mobility but less institutional knowledge gained from throwing just five career passes. When the Falcons made a quarterback change Tuesday from Kirk Cousins to Michael Penix Jr., it meant that the Giants had to scrap what they thought they knew and watch college tape of Penix at Washington and review their own draft reports. The first-round pick will make his first NFL start against the Giants. “He can sling it,” defensive coordinator Shane Bowen said.“You go back and watch the accuracy 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 launching it.” The Giants never strongly considered using their first-round pick on Penix, who surprisingly was drafted No.

8 overall — two picks after they took Malik Nabers. “You watch Washington, try to get a feel for him and see his strengths,” Bowen said.“Hopefully you can find some weaknesses, which is hard to do.” The Giants are coming off allowing six plays of 20 yards or more to the Ravens as receivers ran open through their patchwork secondary. “We can’t let guys free,” Bowen said, “and have to make sure we’re deep when we need to be deep and on the right guys at the right time.” Penix is not a true dual threat — certainly not compared to last week’s challenge of Lamar Jackson — but that element can’t be ignored, either. “If there’s space, he’s going to take off,” Bowen said.

“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 [with Cousins].” Five players did not practice Thursday:...