Some QB Clarity for Upcoming Dolphins Opponents: What It Means for Miami

The Miami Dolphins are scheduled to play two games in five days

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) warms up before a game between Carolina Panthers and the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

The Miami Dolphins will play their next two games within a five-day span, and they got some clarity as to their quarterback competition for those two games.

There were several QB developments Saturday, and two of them involved the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Ravens, the two Dolphins opponents Sunday and Thursday night, respectively.

With Atlanta, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that starter Michael Penix Jr. is likely to be sidelined by the bone bruise on a knee he sustained during the team's Week 7 loss against the San Francisco 49ers, with veteran Kirk Cousins expected to start in his place.

Baltimore, meanwhile, officially downgraded Lamar Jackson to OUT for its game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, so Jackson now is expected to make his return to action against the Dolphins on Thursday night. With Jackson out, the Ravens will be turning against Chicago to veteran Tyler "Snoop" Huntley, who started five games for the Dolphins as a backup last season.

COUSINS VS. PENIX

If it's indeed Cousins against Miami, it will be the former Washington draft pick's first start of the season. He did come in at garbage time in Atlanta's 30-0 loss against the Carolina Panthers in Week 2.

Cousins started 14 games in 2024, with Atlanta going 7-7 in these games, and his passer rating of 88.6 was his worst since 2014.

The Falcons turned to Penix at the end of last season and moved forward with him as their starter this season despite Cousins' $40 million cap number.

The Dolphins have faced Cousins three times, twice while he was a member of the Minnesota Vikings and once with Washington. The last time came in 2022 when Cousins completed 20 o f 30 passes for 175 yards with two touchdowns, no picks and a passer rating of 104.2.

Cousins and Penix both are pocket passers, so there shouldn't major defensive adjustments the Dolphins need to make.

It's also difficult to know what to expect from Cousins given his lack of action so far in 2025.

THE LAMAR CHALLENGE

Jackson will miss a third consecutive game because of the hamstring injury he sustained in the game's Week 4 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs.

This will be the fourth time the Dolphins have faced him, and Jackson lit up the Dolphins three times.

The Dolphins were able to pull out a remarkable 42-38 comeback victory in 2022 despite Jackson having a 142.0 passer rating, but were blown out in 2019 (59-10) and 2023 (56-19) when Jackson accomplished a perfect passer rating of 158.3.

Jackson was off to a great passing start this season with an eye-popping 130.5 rating in his four games, but the Ravens were only 1-3 in those games because the defense gave up 41 points against Buffalo, 38 against Detroit and 37 against Kansas City.

The Dolphins did shut down Jackson when they faced the Ravens in a Thursday night game in 2021, limiting him to 238 yards passing and 39 rushing while sacking him four times and picking him off once in a 22-10 Miami victory.