Kirk Cousins ​​gives the Atlanta Falcons exactly what they envisioned

In the wake of the Atlanta Falcons’31-26 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Falcons head coach Raheem Morris Quarterback said Kirk cousins reminded him of the Kansas City Chiefs signal caller Patrick Mahomes.

To be clear, Morris’ comparison was a joke: It came after Cousins ​​had a 13-yard rush, his longest since Jan. 1, 2023, and picked up a 4th-and-inches on a quarterback sneak.

And while Cousins ​​may not be Mahomes, a two-time MVP and three-time Super Bowl winner, Cousins ​​has been himself — and in Morris’ eyes, exactly who the Falcons envisioned when they signed him to a four-year contract this year of $180 million gifts. spring.

“100%,” Morris said at his press conference on Monday. “That was probably his cleanest game as a quarterback as an Atlanta Falcon. I know it’s hard to say when you threw for 500 yards in a week, but you know how I feel about stats.

“But as far as being clean, throwing the ball exactly where it needs to go, being able to exhaust his progression, really feeling comfortable, being decisive, doing all the different things that Kirk does well – he actually ran the ball yesterday. I was very happy with the quarterback’s play yesterday.”

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Cousins ​​went 23-of-29 for 276 yards, four touchdowns, no interceptions against Tampa Bay, three weeks after he pitched for a franchise record of 509 yards in a Thursday Night Football win over the Buccaneers on October 3.

In the second half of Sunday’s win, Cousins ​​went a perfect 9-for-9 for 52 yards and a touchdown. The Falcons scored points on five of their ten drives, although the last two ended with a fumble and a missed field goal.

But as impressive as Cousins’ day was on the field, what he did two days earlier may have been even more validating for Atlanta’s bank account.

Cousins ​​addressed the team Friday afternoon and delivered a message that focused on resilience and the idea that tough times don’t last, but tough people do.

The 36-year-old Cousins ​​initially approached Morris with interest in giving a speech on Tuesday, and Morris gave him the Friday. Cousins ​​said he had things to say about the team’s direction after a 20-point loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 7.

Such leadership may go unnoticed in the box scores, but that doesn’t apply in the win/loss column — or in Atlanta’s locker room.

“I think he really gave the team some of his experience over the years,” Morris said. “And he can go out there and talk about where he is in the season, some of the things you talk about in the coverage and what it looks like right now.

“And his ability to stand up for his guys and talk about it in front of the coaches, the players, the entire organization, is just something for most of the organization, but also for the guys that we invite for team meetings, and those Guys, you really feel that message, and you take that message to heart.”

Morris added that such messages resonate with the quarterback and not the head coach, making it a positive asset in a player-led locker room.

It’s also beneficial, Morris said, that the Falcons have a sounding board with captains in safety Jessie Bates III, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and left tackle Jake Matthews, who spread and personify the message within the team.

Creating unified messaging among the players starts with observing character, Morris said. It’s made much easier now that the 53-man roster and 16-man practice squad have bought into winning football and the ideologies Morris and his staff are trying to teach.

Bates, Jarrett and Matthews were all under contract when Morris took over as head coach in January. Cousins ​​were not. The Falcons had a glaring need at quarterback, where they received what owner Arthur Blank considered to be “deficient” play last season.

So Atlanta signed Cousins, and he continues to perform both off and on the field.

“When thinking and talking about the arrival of Kirk Cousins, it really started with who he was as a person, what he is as a football player and what else he will bring to us, other than really good football.” “And that’s something you knew you were going to get.”

Cousins ​​has completed 68.3% of his passes for 2,106 yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He ranks No. 3 in passing yards and No. 5 in touchdowns league-wide while ranking 10th in quarterback rating with 61.2.

Atlanta’s offense, led by first-year coordinator Zac Robinson, has become one of the NFL’s better outfits.

The Falcons are No. 7 total yards (371.6 yards per game) and No. 12 in scoring (24.3 points per game). After failing to score 30 points in a game last season, Atlanta has surpassed the threshold three times in its last four games.

Still, Cousins ​​said the Falcons still have a lot of room to improve, but they are 5-3 and sitting atop the NFC South in November, which is ultimately where they hoped to be.

And Cousins’ play is a big reason for that.

“You can see the confidence in our offense when he plays that way, and the style of play that we want to play, that’s the vision,” Morris said. “We were fortunate enough to go out and sign him.”

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