The Atlanta Falcons are excited to have Kirk Cousins leading the offense. Pass-catchers like Kyle Pitts are going to have a much better time getting the ball. Even at Cousins' advanced age and recent injury history, he's good enough to make Atlanta a legitimate contender for the NFC South title.

Pitts and Cousins had a few nice connections in practice, including a touchdown pass on a goal-line fade. He juked right around safety DeMarcco Hellams and rose up to secure the pass in bounds. Cousins is going to lean heavily on the young playmakers around him as he continues recovering from his Achilles tear, giving Pitts and his teammates plenty of chances to do damage.

Pitts was one of the biggest standouts from the Falcons' first practice in pads, according to Daniel Flick of FanNation.

Flick writes the following: “Between noticeable rhythm with quarterback Kirk Cousins and a greater target emphasis from Cousins and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, Pitts is trending in the right direction — and his teammates are noticing, too. ‘He's been doing his thing,’ [Tyler] Allgeier said. ‘It's been good seeing him being mobile and loose.’”

Kyle Pitts looking good in Falcons training camp

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The hype around Pitts, a fantastic draft prospect, has died down after two mediocre seasons. Pitts racked up 60 receiving yards per game as a rookie and hasn’t eclipsed 40 in either of the last two campaigns, a drop in production that isn’t offset by his increase in touchdowns. He hasn’t regressed as a player, only getting even more acclimated to the NFL level, but his production tailing off has been disappointing to see.

With Cousins throwing the ball and the duo of Bijan Robinson and Allgeier making defenses stay alert to the run game, Pitts could be in for a monster season. He and wide receiver Drake London have a lot of potential but have had to withstand super inconsistent quarterback play over the years. Cousins, a top-notch passer, can unlock them even more. Even rookie Michael Penix Jr., should he need to come in, should have what it takes to make Atlanta's offense go.