It is superb what a 500-yard recreation will do to place considerations a couple of quarterback to relaxation.
Kirk Cousins‘ prolific evening final Thursday in a 36-30 time beyond regulation win over the Bucs was sufficient to place the Falcons in first place within the NFC South. On Tuesday, he was chosen as one among Tom Brady’s 3 Stars of Week 5. On Wednesday, he was named NFC Offensive Participant of the Week.
After 5 weeks of shut video games, Cousins’ progress is one other instance of him outlasting critics and challengers.
“His recreation is getting higher each single week,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris stated after the win. “That is what he is been doing since he got here again. He is coming off a big damage, and I’ve watched him get higher each single week. Each single week it has been higher, whether or not it has been explosive, execution, whether or not it is only a rhythm and routine with him and [offensive coordinator] Zac [Robinson] and our offensive workers. It is simply getting higher and higher.”
Cousins threw for a team-record 509 yards in opposition to the Bucs, in addition to 4 landing passes, matching his complete from the primary 4 video games of the season. He hadn’t thrown for greater than 241 within the first 4 video games, however his numbers after 5 video games present how nicely he is related with receivers Drake London and Darnell Mooney.
The Falcons have not had a 1,000-yard pass-catcher since tight finish Kyle Pitts in 2021, however London and Mooney are each now on tempo to prime 1,000 yards, and on track for 10 touchdowns every. When the Falcons wrote the most important test of this yr’s free-agent class to get Cousins for $180 million over 4 years, the hope was that he may take Atlanta’s offense — and the remainder of the franchise — to a stage not seen since Matt Ryan’s departure three years in the past.
Tom Brady’s 3 Stars of Week 5: Kirk Cousins, Lamar Jackson and Patrick Surtain
“We do not blink, simply straight resilience,” London stated. “So I am actually, actually happy. If one facet of the crew will not be doing too sizzling, or possibly one thing simply went mistaken, the opposite’s going to choose them up, whether or not they’re particular groups or protection. So I am actually, actually comfortable how we simply got here collectively as a crew.”
The Falcons have performed all 5 video games inside one rating of their opponents, and their means to shut out wins below such tight circumstances would be the most promising a part of Cousins’ begin in Atlanta. Towards the Eagles, Atlanta was down six and noticed Cousins lead the offense on a 70-yard landing drive in 1:39 to take the lead with 34 seconds left. Towards the Saints simply 4 days earlier than the Bucs recreation, Atlanta trailed by a degree with a minute left earlier than Cousins led the crew on a 30-yard drive to arrange the successful subject purpose with two seconds left.
And in opposition to the Bucs, the Falcons have been down three with 1:14 left and no time-outs, and Cousins went 5-for-8 for 55 yards to arrange the tying subject purpose with 0:01 left to ship the sport to time beyond regulation. There, he went 3-for-3 for 69 yards, together with the successful 45-yard rating to receiver KhaDarel Hodge for the win. In all, he went 8-for-11 for 124 yards and a landing within the ultimate 2:20 of the sport.
“Kirk, man, you bought that clutch gene in you proper now,” Brady stated when naming Cousins to this week’s honor roll. “All season lengthy, in all three of their wins, he is had game-winning drives. Unbelievable effort.”
Resiliency has been part of Cousins’ total profession. He was the second quarterback Washington drafted in 2012 after first-rounder Robert Griffin III, and he began solely 9 video games in his first three seasons, going 2-7 with extra interceptions (19) than landing passes (18). However he took over in his fourth yr, and led the crew to the playoffs that season, incomes his first Professional Bowl a yr later.
He had an important five-year run in Minnesota, however his season ended early final yr with a torn Achilles tendon. Going to Atlanta on an enormous contract, he nonetheless had doubters, not solely from his damage however when Atlanta used the No. 8 total choose within the draft to take Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr., already lining up a quarterback of the longer term earlier than Cousins had taken a snap.
Kirk Cousins on main Falcons over Bucs in OT, throwing for 509 yards
A recreation like Thursday’s is what Cousins wanted — private success to place the crew in first place, with a comparatively straightforward recreation in opposition to the Panthers this week to construct on that. Cousins has been round lengthy sufficient to know the carry of a single win solely lasts till the following recreation.
“It is a step in the precise route,” Cousins stated. “It is such a week-to-week league the place it may be all around the map. You simply by no means know what the following recreation will deliver and what the following recreation will name for. However when you may have 81 snaps and 58 go makes an attempt, you actually get some alternatives to unfold it round.”
Greg Auman is an NFL Reporter for FOX Sports activities. He beforehand spent a decade masking the Buccaneers for the Tampa Bay Occasions and The Athletic. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter at @gregauman.
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