Atlanta Falcons Got the Kirk Cousins Experience

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports.

The Atlanta Falcons paid former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins an absolute boatload of money.

Atlanta Falcons Got the Kirk Cousins Experience

Of course, that looked silly, given the veteran’s limitations, but he has always been great at getting the most out of a paycheck. On Sunday, the Falcons found out what they had to work with.

Despite playing a mediocre Pittsburgh Steelers team that was starting Justin Fields and having homefield advantage, Kirk Cousins and Atlanta flopped out of the gate. The veteran signal-caller couldn’t gain any momentum and, despite having skilled playmakers, could not move the football.

The Falcons produced just ten points and fell 18-10. Cousins looked horrendous in the second half, and his timid nature held the Falcons from pushing the ball down the field. If that’s going to be the way he looks throughout the entirety of the season, it’s hard to see Atlanta not turning things over to rookie Michael Penix Jr.

Dale Zanine-Imagn Images.

Of course, it was jarring when the Falcons took a first-round quarterback after blowing their load on Cousins. They had tied the franchise to an expensive veteran quarterback, and after Desmond Ridder failed, it seemed to be a reaction necessary for the team to get something right.

Maybe Penix Jr. won’t be ready at any point this season, but Cousins has to do more. While he had Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison in Minnesota, those types of stars aren’t present with the Falcons. Deferring back to check-downs and avoiding chances, Cousins is most comfortable.

Kirk Cousins
Dale Zanine-Imagn Images.

For years the knock on Cousins has been that he is incapable of winning big games on his own. The stereotypical game manager, he’s a good guy who often leaves a franchise and fanbase wanting more. Atlanta apparently missed that caveat when shelling out the big bucks for him, but there’s no reason to expect the former Vikings quarterback to be drastically different than who he has been thus far in his career.

It has to get better from here, and it will, but it’s anyone’s guess as to how much he can realistically be expected to accomplish.


Ted Schwerzler is a blogger from the Twin Cities that is focused on all things Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings. He’s active on Twitter and writes weekly for Twins Daily. As a former college athlete and avid sports fan, covering our pro teams with a passion has always seemed like such a natural outlet.