The Atlanta Falcons snapped a four-game losing streak Monday night with a victory over the Las Vegas Raiders to conclude Week 15 of NFL action.
Except that the victory was not necessarily a great offensive demonstration.
Kirk Cousins, acquired at a big price during the offseason to revive the Falcons’ offense, offered another lukewarm performance. After a touchdown at the start of the match, the team was content with field goals for the rest of the adventure.
Even though the two successful touchdowns, and the one missed, came from short sequences with good field position. Cousins finished the game with just 112 yards and one interception.
For a quarterback with a $180 million contract in his pocket, that’s not much in the eyes of critics and coach Raheem Morris agreed after the game.
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“Cousins must play better,” Morris said without flinching to journalists. We have to find a way to help him play better. Collectively, we need to play better at the quarterback position. »
Acquiring Cousins before the season was seen as an attempt to enter the equation for a playoff spot with a solid core already in place. The veteran was seen as the missing piece since the departure of Matt Ryan a few seasons ago.
Except that with three games remaining in the season, the coach is questioned by the media about his rookie quarterback, Michael Penis Jr., who is patiently waiting for his turn on the sidelines.
“We have to find a way to win the next game,” Morris was content to say on the subject. »
Second in the NFC South, the Falcons can still sneak into the playoffs, but the chances are slim. With a 7-7 record, the Falcons need at least one loss from the Bucs to overtake them in the standings by the end of the campaign.
As for Cousins, he could finish the season under 4,000 passing yards, which would be a first for him in a full season since 2019. In fact, Cousins is currently playing his ninth full season as a starter and 2019 is the only one of his career under 4,000 yards. His 16 interceptions since the start of the season represent a career high in this regard.
At 36 years old, Cousins has three years left on his contract after this season.