Should you thought folks had been apoplectic over the methods during which the Atlanta Falcons dealt with their quarterback state of affairs this offseason … properly, it’s about to get rather a lot louder.
The staff that went out and signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million assured after which chosen Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth total choose within the 2024 draft within the hope that Penix might be their man a pair years down the highway? Effectively, that’s the identical staff that put Cousins out on the sector towards the Pittsburgh Steelers in Atlanta’s regular-season opener when Cousins clearly hadn’t absolutely recovered from the Achilles tendon damage he suffered final October. .
The outcomes weren’t what anyone anticipated – Cousins was overmatched towards the Steelers, finishing 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards, one landing, two interceptions, a passer score of 59.0, and a Passing EPA of -12.2 – the eighth-lowest within the NFL by way of Sunday evening.
After I say that Cousins clearly wasn’t 100% wholesome for this sport, I don’t want an X-ray or an MRI to substantiate it – the Falcons gave everyone the prognosis by how they’d Cousins arrange schematically. Cousins has been one of many NFL’s finest play-action and rollout quarterbacks within the league – he was actually that in his salad days with the Minnesota Vikings – and his new staff, led by offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, took away every little thing he did properly.
Not considered one of Cousins’ 25 makes an attempt had the good thing about play-action. On 24 of his 25 passing makes an attempt, he stayed within the pocket. All 25 of these makes an attempt got here out of shotgun or pistol – not one passing try from underneath heart. It was as if there was a label on QB1 that stated, “DO NOT SCRAMBLE.”
Final season, per Sports activities Data Options, Cousins tried 96 passes with a snap from underneath heart, finishing 67 for 661 yards, 383 air yards, 4 touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer score of 102.8 – and that was in simply eight video games.
Cousins completely ripped the NFL to bits final season with play-action, finishing 66 of 93 passes for 615 yards, 330 air yards, 5 touchdowns, no interceptions, and a passer score of 106.7.
And when throwing exterior the pocket final season, Cousins accomplished 16 of 25 passes for 122 yards, 61 air yards, one landing, no interceptions, and a passer score of 89.1. Not precisely Patrick Mahomes numbers, however one thing you may wish to throw into the sport plan in some unspecified time in the future in time.
On this case, Robinson needed to put his complete play sheet in service of a quarterback that might not transfer exterior the pocket, and wanted house from the road of scrimmage. The Falcons couldn’t have made it extra evident that Cousins was not prepared for this.
Cousins’ analyses of his two interceptions stated rather a lot, as properly. The primary choose got here with 4:08 left within the first quarter, and Cousins threw a howler within the basic route of receiver Drake London, however between the protection and the truth that Cousins was getting pressured up the center, there was no approach this was going to work.
“I used to be actually making an attempt to keep away from the sack on the primary one and throw it away,” Cousins stated. I knew Drake was breaking in there. I did see coloration, however I used to be making an attempt to principally put it on the market, approach out in entrance of him, however the security was there and made an excellent play. In hindsight, I’ll have to return and watch it to actually offer you an excellent reply, however both simply throw it away decrease otherwise you take the sack, no matter it’s bought to be to keep away from the end result there.”
Decide No. 2 got here with 2:47 left within the sport, and the Falcons down 15-10. Cousins had first-and-10 from the Pittsburgh 47-yard line, so there was actual alternative right here. Cousins had a collapsing pocket courtesy of the Steelers’ dominant go rush, and he didn’t transfer in any respect.
“Then the second, simply couldn’t get something on the ball,” Cousins stated. “That’s the place, once more, I’ll return and watch it and be important and say, hey, you recognize, possibly you eat it, otherwise you progress otherwise you dust it, no matter it’s a must to do to keep away from the important error of the interception.”
Effectively, possibly, however this was a case the place Cousins had London on a fast comeback for the new learn, and it’s not as if the Falcons had been in a state of affairs the place Cousins needed to make the dangerous option to perpetuate any hope of profitable. 2:47 left, first-and-10, 5 factors down, you are taking the revenue and transfer on.
This was not a sustainable sport plan for a quarterback. This was Jake and Elwood close to the top of the Blues Brothers film, hoping that they might get to the Cook dinner County Assessor’s Workplace earlier than the Bluesmobile fell aside.
Penix didn’t seem like The Reply in his restricted preseason snaps (there’s one other subject), however at the least he can transfer. This wasn’t actually on Cousins as a lot because it was on the choice to have him begin his first doable regular-season sport with half the bodily instruments he wanted for any probability at success.
Subsequent Monday evening, the Falcons face a Philadelphia Eagles protection that had six totally different defenders with at the least two quarterback pressures of their opener towards the Inexperienced Bay Packers. We’ll see by way of the week if something comes out about Kick Cousins’ precise bodily standing … however regardless of the medical doctors say, the Falcons have already instructed you that one thing isn’t fairly proper with their $180 million man.