FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — After the Week 13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Kirk Cousins' status as the Atlanta Falcons starting quarterback was questioned for the first time since Michael Penix Jr. was drafted with the No. 8 overall pick.

At least externally. Internally, there is no doubt. Cousins will remain the starter.

Head coach Raheem Morris made that very clear in his postgame press conference last Sunday and in his regular press conference on Monday.

"We're still sticking with our plan," Morris said. "Kirk is here to develop and then grow and to make us go and find a way to get wins, and that's his job. He will continue to do that for us."

At no point during the Chargers game did Morris consider a quarterback change.

If he had, however, Penix felt — feels — ready for a full-game performance.

"I have to be," Penix said. "Because you never know when the opportunity will come, so I always stay ready. But at the end of the day, it's not up to me. I just got to continue to be ready and continue to stay ready for that moment whenever that is."

And he's OK with that. Penix knew the Falcons' quarterback situation when he arrived in late April. It hasn't changed.

"Like I've said before, I feel like I've been put in this position for a reason," Penix said. "It's all God's plan. It's all in his hands. I just got to come out here and work each and every day.

"Kirk is a great quarterback. He showed us that many times this season. Everybody's not going to be perfect. That's just what it is."

It's because Cousins was far from perfect against not only the Chargers but also in the recent losses to the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints that public doubt has surfaced.

In the last three games, Cousins threw six interceptions and no touchdowns. He was responsible for four fumbles, too, although none of those were recovered by the opposing team.

Cousins knows Morris backs him after the latest loss, which featured four interceptions for only the second time in his 13-year career.

"I think there's no entitlement in the NFL," Cousins said. "You just have to go earn it, and if it ever was that, I wouldn't want it. I need to play at a level that justifies being out there."

That accountability is nothing new. Morris has praised it. Teammates have recognized it. His backup admires it.

"He never points a finger," Penix said. "He's just a first-class guy in everything that he does. That's what I appreciate a lot about him. Because you don't see him act out of character over something. He's been in so many different positions throughout his career in football that at the end of the day, he knows that wasn't him and he knows that he can be better — and he's gonna be better. That's what this whole team believes. We all believe in him."

The Falcons are 6-6 entering Week 14 and lead the NFC South due to their tiebreaker against the fellow 6-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A division title and playoff bid are still within reach with five games left in the regular season.

A true test for Cousins comes Sunday (1 p.m. ET, FOX) with what could be considered an emotional return home to his former team, the Minnesota Vikings.

"He's a vet," Penix said. "He's been in a lot of different situations. I have no doubt that he's gonna bounce back from this and he's gonna be great this week and for the rest of the season."