The Atlanta Falcons went on a shopping spree this offseason, hoping to buy their way to an NFC South crown. One of Atlanta's more expensive moves was signing free agent Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million deal, believing the veteran quarterback was what they needed to maximize their offense. In the Falcons' season-opening loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, their offense was less than maximized, with Cousins taking most of the blame. Atlanta led 10-9 at halftime but lost 18-10, with three first downs and 51 total yards in the second half.
“I was disappointed,” Cousins said via team transcript. “Certainly disappointed. You always go out there with an expectation that you’re going to play at a high level, and we didn’t play up to our standards today.”
Cousins threw two interceptions, and he and center Drew Dalman botched a snap that hit the legs of Ross Dwelley, who was in motion.
“The timing was off,” Cousins said. “It’s my fault, sending the motion and asking for the ball, and the timing was off. So, it’s something that you have to bat a thousand, and you can’t have a mistake, and we paid for it today.”
Playing his first game since tearing his Achilles while with the Vikings last season, Cousins finished his day 16-of-26 for 155 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.
“We have to avoid critical errors,” Cousins said. “We always say that, but we have to do it. I think if we do that and keep ourselves in manageable down in distances, I think today showed it, you know, we can be a productive offense. But when we hurt ourselves, it’s tough to overcome.”
How Kirk Cousins and the Falcons can bounce back
Cousins did not play in the preseason. He was asked if the offense might have played better Sunday if they had.
“It’s hard to say,” Cousins said. “I think the key is that we’re healthy for Week 1, and that was really the focus. There are never excuses. You have to be ready to go when your number is called, regardless. That was certainly no different today.”
Thankfully, Atlanta's season isn't over after their loss to Pittsburgh. The Falcons will be on the road next week to take on the Philadelphia Eagles before coming home to host the Kansas City Chiefs. Both matchups will be tough for Atlanta, but they can also allow the team to acclimate Cousins much more quickly. At this point, that's all the Falcons really can do. They need him to step up for as much money as they pay Cousins. Hopefully, he can do it against the Eagles next week.
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