The Atlanta Falcons were forced to turn back to Kirk Cousins after Michael Penix Jr. suffered a season-ending injury. Never have opinions on the signal caller been lower after it seemed that Cousins single handedly ended the 2024 season. With this in mind, expectations were understandably incredibly low heading into a divisional rivalry game against the New Orleans Saints. One that Cousins wouldn't have the benefit of star receiver Drake London, with the star pass catcher missing time with a knee injury.
Understandably, this left extremely low expectations that Cousins unquestionably surpassed in his first solid start in over a year. Cousins finished the game with 199 passing yards and two touchdowns with one interception. While you would still like to see the starter cut out the turnovers, there is no denying that this is the best Cousins has looked in recent memory.
The performance was highlighted by a beautiful deep ball to Darnell Mooney for a 49-yard touchdown. It was a drop in the bucket that breathed life back into the season of the struggling receiver and showed that perhaps Cousins still has something left in the tank.
Falcons Quarterback Kirk Cousins Puts Together Impressive Debut as Atlanta's 2025 Starter
Cousins will be 38 going into the 2026 season and isn't going to be near the top of any team's potential list of starting options. With that said, the rest of the 2025 season is going to serve as an opportunity to either take Atlanta's starting job back with Penix's future uncertain or put together a run that allows him the chance to start elsewhere.
This week was a solid star with the quarterback showing there is still life in his arm and making plays when the Saints began to turn up the pressure. While you would like to see this level of performance without the costly turnover, the game was a step in the right direction.
Dating back to the 2024 season when Cousins suffered an injury, it has been more than a year since we've seen the quarterback play a game at this high of a level. It leaves hope that perhaps the Falcons will either have a serviceable bridge option or the quarterback will play his way into becoming a trade possibility.
While this is unquestionably a leap ahead, there is no doubt that this was a solid step as the Falcons get ready for the final weeks of the season. Cousins will take on the New York Jets in Week 13, continuing a trend of winnable games that could breathe life back into the veteran's career.
At the very least, it provided Falcons fans a needed moment of peace, beating a hated rival and keeping the franchise firmly out of the NFC South's basement.