The Atlanta Falcons were forced to start veteran Kirk Cousins on Sunday with Michael Penix Jr. out due to a bone bruise in his left knee. With the trade deadline quickly approaching, if there was ever a moment for the quarterback to breathe life back into his career as a starter, it was now against a terrible Miami Dolphins defense.
Instead, Cousins reminded the Falcons exactly why he had been benched and why being a Falcons fan remains a miserable experience.
Kirk Cousins Left Falcons Front Office Zero Hope of Pulling Off Deadline Deal
While the quarterback's numbers don't appear all that bad, those who managed to watch the entire game know just how ugly of performance this was. Cousins appeared completely out of place, looking stiff and unathletic, missing timing throws and consistently settling for checkdowns. Whether this was a fault of the offensive coordinator or quarterback is up for debate. What isn't is the fact of just how ugly a performance this was.
The Falcons now have zero hope of offloading Cousins over the next week and appear stuck with the veteran for the rest of the season. His claim to being one of the best backups in the NFL has now completely been undone, leaving Atlanta to pay the bill for the aging QB who appears near the end of his career.
It is important to note that Drake London was out with a hip injury, and Bijan Robinson was unable to get going in the run game. However, there is still no viable excuse for the missed throws and consistent checkdowns that left the Falcons' offense predictable and quickly leaving the field in favor of the punter.
This game perfectly summed up why Atlanta fans grew so tired of a quarterback who simply cannot handle the responsibilities of the position any longer. He played one of the league's worst defenses, yet was unable to score a touchdown until deep into garbage time. Cousins finished the game 21/31 for 171 yards, numbers that don't do justice to just how much the quarterback struggled.
Even when the Dolphins were playing soft zone to prevent the Falcons from picking up yards in chunks, the veteran still resorted to running backs. This leaves Atlanta stuck with the veteran until the end of the season, when it seems likely the two sides will part ways, with the Falcons swallowing a large 2026 dead cap hit.