Up until the Falcons‘ eventual game-winning drive on Monday Night Football, Kirk Cousins had been pedestrian, at best.
Outside of the touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney at the end of the third quarter, the Falcons signal caller looked much more like the Week 1 version of himself than the 2023 one.
He was skittish in the pocket, indecisive in his progressions, and at times, looked straight-up scared. The Falcons offense was generally only productive in the running game, but that all changed on the final drive.
Cousins turned back the clock, leading a near-perfect drive with 1:39 on the clock, going 5-for-6 for all 70 yards, including the go-ahead score. It looked comfortable for him, and it reminded Falcons fans why the club gave him $180 million in free agency.
And for the cherry on top of it all, Cousins told the boys to just have some fun before that incredible drive, he revealed to Dan Patrick yesterday.
Mr. Primetime @KirkCousins8 discusses the #Falcons win in Monday Night Football, what he told his team going into the game winning drive, and his reaction to not getting blitzed a ton by the #Eagles. pic.twitter.com/7elmLA1ek4
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) September 18, 2024
Coming into the season, the mood around Flowery Branch was great. Falcons players who had stuck around Atlanta through the Arthur Smith era, with all of that quarterback turmoil, were complimentary of Cousins’ presence.
It changed the entire complexion of the Falcons team, and it gave everyone a bit more confidence in themselves. That all halted in Week 1. Cousins and Atlanta’s offense were hard to watch. These guys are human; it’s hard to believe that not even a small bit of doubt crept into their minds. They saw what we saw.
Hell, they watched the same thing for nearly three quarters in Week 2 on MNF as well. Cousins underthrew receivers, missed open guys, and wasn’t effective at all. When Cousins drove the Falcons down the field for that touchdown, it not only reinforced his belief in himself but also his teammates’ belief in him.
That drive may have saved the entire Kirk Cousins era in Atlanta as well as the 2024 season.
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Photo: Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
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