Tag: Kirk Cousins

Kirk Cousins on Falcons’ success: ‘It starts with Raheem Morris’

Falcons QB Kirk Cousins credits one person for the team’s’ success this season..

One thing nobody can deny about Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is that he embraces expectations instead of running from them.

While it’s easy to say this team just needed a quarterback, the pressure to perform after signing Kirk Cousins was only magnified by the team’s decision to draft Michael Penix Jr. in the first round.

The Falcons have lived up to the hype through their first nine games, defeating the Dallas Cowboys, 27-21, on Sunday to improve to 6-3.

Cousins delivered once again, passing for 222 yards and three touchdowns in Atlanta’s fifth win in the last six weeks. After the game, reporters asked him to explain this team’s success. and he credited his head coach.

“I think it starts with Raheem Morris as our head coach setting the tone each week… play with great effort, and from there, it kind of trickles down to our captains and our locker room,” said Cousins.

The Falcons quarterback also made it clear the team still has a lot to improve upon. “There were positives, but there was also a lot we left out there,” explained Cousins.

Atlanta’s defense also deserves credit for stepping up against an explosive Dallas offense. Kaden Elliss played exceptionally well and the team came up with three sacks against Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.

“The sky’s the limit and we’ve just got to continue getting better and better every week,” Morris said after his team’s sixth win of the season.

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Kirk Cousins’ three touchdown passes have Falcons up on Cowboys

Kirk Cousins and the Falcons were shredding the Cowboys

The Dallas secondary is depleted and Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons are capitalizing.

Despite losing Drake London to a hip injury, the veteran QB has three TD passes midway through the third quarter of Sunday’s game against the Cowboys.

London had a TD grab before going out. Darnell Mooney and Ray-Ray  McCloud added others as Atlanta led 21-10.

Kirk Cousins named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for second time this season

This is the ninth time Cousins has earned the honor

For the second time this season, and the ninth time in his career, former Michigan State star and current Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week.

Cousins shredded the Falcons’ rivals, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for 276 yards and four touchdowns. He also added 16 yards on the ground, something he’s definitely not known for, especially at this stage of his career.

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Seahawks snap losing streak, defeat Falcons 34-14

Seahawks snap losing streak, defeat Falcons 34-14

The Seattle Seahawks are finally off the schneid! After losing their last three-straight games, Seattle is finally back in the win column with a dominant 34-14 road victory over the Falcons. It was easily their most complete game of the season.

Atlanta had been one of the hotter teams in football as of late, as they had won their previous three games, including last week’s by a blowout. However, against the Seahawks, they could not really find their footing.

Seattle quickly built up a 10-0 lead early in the second quarter. The Falcons were able to make it 10-7, but right before the half expired the Seahawks made it a 10-point game once more thanks to Geno Smith finding DK Metcalf for a 31-yard touchdown. Atlanta did manage to pull within three once more, making it a 17-14 game in the third quarter… but that was as close as they would get for the remainder of the outing.

Seattle responded by Smith finding the birthday man himself, Kenneth Walker, for a 17-yard receiving touchdown. Once more, it was a 10-point game at 24-14, and the Seahawks poured it on from there.

Atlanta’s first three drives of the fourth quarter all ended in disaster. At midfield, Boye Mafe forced a fumble of Kirk Cousins, and Derick Hall scooped the ball up for a 64-yard touchdown to make it 31-14. On the ensuing drive for the Falcons, Cousins pass bounced off wide receiver Drake London’s hands and into Julian Love’s… who secured his first interception since Week 1.

Seattle turned that interception into three more points. Finally, the last Falcons drive Cousins led was once again ended abruptly thanks to a Coby Bryant interception… his first in his career. After that, rookie Michael Penix Jr. took over and had his first regular season snaps of his career. The game was effectively over by this point.

The Seahawks secured a much-needed win, stopping the bleed. They improve to 4-3, and keep pace with the San Francisco 49ers. In fact, depending on how San Francisco’s game against Kansas City plays out, Seattle could theoretically move back into sole possession. However, that is merely a hypothetical. What matters is they did not lose any ground.

Geno Smith was highly efficient, completing 18-of-28 passes for 207 yards and two touchdowns. Walker had 69 yards and two total touchdowns, and DK Metcalf led the team with 99 receiving yards and a score.

Next up: a return to Lumen Field to host the Buffalo Bills. At the moment, they have a multiple score lead over the Tennessee Titans late in the fourth quarter. Assuming the Bills can hang on, they will improve to 5-2, giving the Seahawks another considerable challenge.

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Falcons QB Kirk Cousins learned unusual habit from Peyton Manning

Falcons QB Kirk Cousins picked up an unusual habit from Peyton Manning..

One thing that has become evident about Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins over the first six weeks of the season is that he’s unapologetically himself. Whether he’s swag surfing or showing teammates how to jam out to 20-year-old emo hits, Cousins is extremely comfortable in his own skin.

The veteran quarterback was signed by Atlanta to bring stability and leadership to a young but talented Falcons offense. Thus far, Cousins has done his job, leading the team to a third consecutive win in Week 6 to improve to 4-2 on the season.

Cousins is all about attention to detail and has an unusual method of communicating with his coaches and teammates. The former Michigan State QB enjoys using voice memos to share his thoughts, a habit he picked up from NFL legend Peyton Manning.

https://twitter.com/JoshTheAthletic/status/1846643758244286565

Manning, known for his extreme attention to detail during his 17-year career, dominated the league for well over a decade. The former No. 1 overall pick racked up 71,940 passing yards, 539 touchdowns and 251 interceptions for the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts.

When Manning was in Denver, he used to exhaust former Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase with his constant questions and messages. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris can relate.

“I can’t take the voice memos,” Morris told reporters last week. “He just calls me or texts me with whatever he needs.”

Cousins’ attention to detail has helped him put up some impressive stats of his own, passing for 41,068 yards, 279 touchdowns and 115 interceptions over his 13-year NFL career.

The Falcons will look to keep their winning streak going in Week 7 when they host the Seattle Seahawks at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

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Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald gives updates for Murphy, Woolen and Lucas

Seahawks HC Mike Macdonald gives updates for Murphy, Woolen and Lucas

The Seattle Seahawks need to find a way to end this losing streak they are on, and their first opportunity to do so will come on Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. Seattle’s defense has been brutalized on and off the field for the last three weeks, mainly due to injuries sustained at key positions.

On Wednesday, head coach Mike Macdonald did offer some updates for a few of their top defensive players. The good news is it appears rookie defensive tackle Byron Murphy II is going to return to practice, and Seattle needs him in a bad way. As for his cornerbacks, Tre Brown and Riq Woolen, it is a bit of a mixed bag. Sadly, there is no good news to be given for the ailing offensive line.

The Seahawks’ rush defense has once again collapsed into one of the worst in the league. New York and San Francisco bullied Seattle’s defensive front to embarrassing proportions. Having Murphy back into the lineup should give this unit a considerable boost.

Fingers are crossed Woolen can return to help slow down Atlanta’s efficient passing attack, led by quarterback Kirk Cousins and receiver Drake London.

As for the offensive line, no help is on the horizon for the worst in football.

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Kirk Cousins had a simple message for Falcons OC at halftime

Kirk Cousins had a simple message for Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson at halftime…

The Atlanta Falcons have won four games this season, but Sunday’s 38-20 victory over the Carolina Panthers was the first time they did so without trailing in the final minute. So what changed in Week 6?

While playing the one-win Panthers certainly helped, the Falcons had more success running the ball than they have in recent weeks. After finishing with 73 total rushing yards in Week 5, running backs Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier combined to rush for 200 yards against the Panthers.

Sunday’s game provided more evidence that this team can win in multiple ways. Quarterback Kirk Cousins followed up his 509-yard, four-touchdown performance with an efficient 225 passing yards, one touchdown and zero turnovers.

With Atlanta holding a 22-17 lead at halftime, offensive coordinator Zac Robinson approached Cousins to discuss the second-half game plan. The Falcons QB had a simple message for Robinson:

“I like running the football,” said Cousins.

Robinson clearly heard the message and the ground attack took over for the final two quarters. Allgeier led the way with a season-high 105 rushing yards on just 18 carries while Bijan Robinson added 95 yards on 15 carries.

Atlanta finished with more total yards than Carolina and won time of possession in Sunday’s NFC South showdown. The Falcons’ schedule will get even tougher over the next few games.

In Week 7, the team will host the Seattle Seahawks before battling the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dallas Cowboys in back-to-back weeks.

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Geno Smith still leads the NFL in passing yards

Geno Smith still leads the NFL in passing yards

We are through six weeks on the 2024 NFL season, and no one has thrown for more yards than Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith.

On the year, Smith has thrown for 1,778 yards. While his touchdown/interception ratio (6 touchdowns, six picks) may not be great on the stat sheet, defenses are having little effect on slowing Smith down through the air.

The current top five passing leads in the league are as follows:

  1. Geno Smith – 1,778
  2. Brock Purdy – 1,629
  3. Dak Prescott – 1,602
  4. Kirk Cousins – 1,598
  5. Joe Burrow – 1,578

Smith had a tough night against the San Francisco 49ers last week, no one will argue against it. His two interceptions were brutal, and the second one stopped any comeback attempt dead in its tracks. While an argument could certainly be made DK Metcalf did him no favors with his route, as a quarterback, you sign the check with every pass you throw.

However, Smith still had 312 yards on Thursday night. Smith has eclipsed the 300+ passing yard mark in three of his six games this year. In two of them where he did not, he still threw for 289 and 284 yards.

Smith will look to keep up his overall strong paly next Sunday on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. It will be his, and the Seahawks’, first time playing the Falcons since they lost 27-23 in 2022 at Lumen Field. Despite the loss, Smith passed for 325 yards and two touchdowns against Atlanta.

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Seahawks opponent watch: Falcons stay hot, improve to 4-2

Seahawks opponent watch: Falcons stay hot, improve to 4-2

The Seattle Seahawks are currently in an active three-game losing streak. Unfortunately, the road back to victory does not get any easier this weekend. Seattle will once again travel to the east coast to take on the Atlanta Falcons on the road.

For several years now, the Falcons have been the definition of consistent mediocrity. Atlanta has finished with exactly seven wins total in five of the last six season, including the previous three years. But in 2024, it appears the Dirty Birds have a quality team. The Falcons have started the year 4-2, and are the opposite of the Seahawks right now… they are on a three-game winning streak.

Atlanta’s latest victims were the hapless Carolina Panthers, as they dismantled their division rivals 38-20 on Sunday. The Falcons offense was humming as usual, racking up 423 yards – 198 of which came on the ground. This does not bode well for a Seattle defense that has shown incredible difficulty slowing down opposing rush attacks.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins may be a punchline to some, but he is a quality signal caller in this league and is more than capable of tearing apart defenses not playing up to their best game. The Seahawks have been struggling in all three phases of the game, and if they aren’t able to use the extra time to heal up and develop better game plans, Cousins will surely torch them once more.

Seattle needs a win in the worst way possible. They started the season immaculately at 3-0, but have fallen to 3-3 on the year. Should they drop one more, they will fall below .500 ahead of a Week 8 home showdown against the Buffalo Bills.

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Falcons QB Kirk Cousins visits the Georgia Bulldogs in Athens

Kirk Cousins paid a visit to the Georgia Bulldogs ahead of their matchup against Mississippi State.

Kirk Cousins is getting the full Georgia experience. The Falcons quarterback has received plenty of attention for his success on the field, but he also recently paid a visit to Georgia Bulldogs country in Athens.

Cousins is connected to the Bulldogs by more than just the fact that he plays football in Atlanta — the Falcons signal-caller’s wife, Julie Hampton Cousins, is a Georgia graduate.

The couple toured the facility ahead of Georgia’s upcoming matchup against the visiting Mississippi State Bulldogs. Here’s a look at some of the photos from their trip to Athens.

As for Cousins and the Falcons, they’ll take on the Carolina Panthers this Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. The quarterback has been on a roll for the Falcons, recording a video-game stat line in last week’s 36-30 overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Cousins connected on 42 of his 58 passing attempts for 509 yards with four touchdowns and one interception. The veteran QB won NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his dominant performance against the Buccaneers.

So far this season, Cousins has completed 67.2 percent of his passes for 1,373 yards with eight touchdowns and five interceptions. He’ll get a chance to build upon that even further as the Falcons are set to kick off against the Panthers on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.

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