The Atlanta Falcons have little time to dwell on Sunday's loss to the Carolina Panthers as they prepare for Thursday Night Football against the Green Bay Packers.

The short week presents an immediate challenge for an Atlanta team that enters Week 3 at 0-2. It also marks the return of quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who is set to make his first regular season appearance since suffering a season-ending ACL injury last November.

Falcons head coach Kevin Stefanski said the condensed schedule has forced the team to focus on maximizing its limited preparation time while making sure players recover physically.

“You really have to compress so much of what you do into not a lot of time,” Stefanski said. “So there's the mental part of this and making sure that you get all the work you need to get done mentally.”

Penix's return has been carefully managed throughout his rehabilitation. Stefanski said the Falcons did not view Week 3 as a predetermined return date, instead evaluating Penix's progress on a daily basis.

“I just know that every day, we've had a plan to mandate how to progress through this rehab,” Stefanski said.

The Falcons have also maintained regular communication with Penix about how his body has responded to increased workloads.

“Nobody knows his body better than he does, which I totally agree with,” Stefanski said. “So, I check in, have checked in, and we'll continue checking in with Mike almost daily.”

Penix last played in November 2025, when he suffered the ACL injury against Carolina. Before the injury, he threw for 1,982 yards, 9 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions across nine starts.

“You want to make sure that the game plan is a bunch of stuff that Mike's comfortable with,” Stefanski said.

The Packers are also looking to get on track after struggling on offense the last two games, though not to the extent the Falcons have. 

Green Bay enters Thursday night at 1-1 after losing to the Minnesota Vikings 39-22 before defeating the New York Jets 20-17 in overtime. The Packers are averaging just 21.0 yards per game and 309 yards per game, tied for 18th and 17th in the NFL, respectively.

Quarterback Jordan Love has completed 37 of 71 passes for 532 yards, four touchdowns and one interception. He opened the season with a 387-yard, two-touchdown performance against Minnesota but had just 145 yards against the Jets. 

“I got a ton of respect for coach [Matt] Lafleur and what they do. They've done it at a high level over many years,” Stefanski said. ”I think the quarterback's outstanding, and he can make every throw imaginable. His arm talent is really, really impressive.”

Atlanta will have limited time to recover from its 34-3 loss to Carolina before facing Green Bay. Stefanski acknowledged that players naturally want another opportunity immediately after a disappointing performance.

“Anytime you fall short, you want the game to be the next day, but we have to, we have to wait till Thursday,” Stefanski said.

The Falcons will face the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field at 8:15 pm on Amazon Prime.

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