Kirk Cousins Gets Dinged for Familiar Sin
From the outside looking in, it appears as though the Atlanta Falcons are getting the full Kirk Cousins experience: passing brilliance mixed with befuddling blunders.
The most recent example came at the end of the Falcons’ loss to the Saints. Cousins was doing his utmost to lead his group down the field to tie the game since Atlanta was down 20-17. On the final play, though, Cousins threw short of the sticks and effectively ended the game without giving his guys a real shot.
Kirk Cousins and The Familiar Sin
First off, consider the Minnesota play that comes to mind.
The 2022 season was full of magic for Cousins. He led his Vikings with a whopping eight game-winning drives as they climbed up to a 13-4 record and the NFC North title. Genuinely, there were moments when he played excellent football.
Consider, though, how things ended. The New York Giants marched into U.S. Bank Stadium as large underdogs and walked away as victors. Check out the final offensive play for Minnesota’s end of the operation:
Season on the line. Down by seven points and trying to orchestrate yet another game-winning drive. Or, at least, a drive that ties the game and sends it to overtime. Under pressure, Cousins tossed the ball over to his tight end, T.J. Hockenson, who got tackled short of the first down mark.
Ball game.
Fast forward a couple of seasons and Minnesota no longer has Mr. Cousins under contract. For the modest price of $180 million across four seasons, the Falcons were able to secure his services. After ten games in Georgia, Cousins is leading a 6-4 team and is the proprietor of a 68.2% completion rate to stand alongside 2,634 yards, 17 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions.
So, tidy numbers.
The particular play that’s standing out in people’s minds, though, is his most recent one. On the final play of the Falcons v. Saints game, Cousins threw short of the sticks. It didn’t go well:
Now, a few things to keep in mind. Cousins wasn’t under duress in the same manner that he was in that playoff game, but he was working against the clock. Quite possibly, Cousins’ intention was to pickup a first down by allowing his playmaker to get out of bounds and then load up for a final Hail Mary.
Nevertheless, it’s safe to say that it doesn’t look good. After all, part of the reason why a team signs Kirk Cousins is to avoid avoidable mistakes. The veteran has seen a ton, so the hope is that he’ll steer clear of these blunders.
People on social media shared some opinions. In response to a tweet expressing concern about Cousins’ decision to throw short of the sticks, Arif Hasan of Wide Left chimed in: “boy do i have some news for you.” Alongside a laughing emoji, “The Purple Persuasion” wrote: “And the #Falcons lose to the #Saints on… a Kirk Cousins check down with the game on the line.” Other examples exist.
On Sunday, the Falcons will take on the Broncos. Kirk Cousins will look to respond by getting his team back to its winning ways.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference and Over the Cap helped with this piece.
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K. Joudry is the Senior Editor for Vikings Territory and PurplePTSD. He has been covering the Vikings full time since the summer of 2021. He can be found on Twitter, as a co-host for Notes from the North, and as the proprietor at The Vikings Gazette, a humble Vikings Substack.