Falcons have as many wins as NFC players of the week awards

The Falcons are 3-2, and in each of their wins, a member of the team has earned NFC Player of the Week honors.

Most recently, it was Kirk Cousins. Atlanta’s signal caller set a career-high in yards while also breaking the franchise record in front of Matt Ryan, who previously held the record. He finished the overtime tilt with 509 yards, completing 42-of-58 passes, including a walk-off touchdown to KhaDarel Hodge, one of four touchdowns thrown.

Before Cousins, it was Troy Andersen, thanks to his heroics against the Saints. He logged a league-high 16 tackles in Week 4, intercepted a Derek Carr pass and returned it for a touchdown, and picked up a tackle for a loss.

From the first win of the season, Jessie Bates III earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for his efforts against the Eagles. Atlanta’s star safety recorded 12 tackles, one for a loss, two pass breakups and the game-sealing interception in Week 2. One of those defended passes prevented a DeVonta Smith would-be touchdown.

More than anything, the Falcons have had a different player step up in each of their wins this season. That’s encouraging for a club that hasn’t yet played their best football but has somehow come out of a brutal stretch 3-2. When the Falcons need it, they’ve had someone step up for the challenge.

Good teams can win in multiple ways, and even though Raheem Morris’ club hasn’t looked perfect, they’ve shown an ability to lean on their defense, offense, and special teams at different moments.

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