A season full of hope started badly for the Atlanta Falcons.
Kirk Cousins had a rough debut, not showing the performance expected from a $180 million quarterback. Even though Mercedes-Benz Stadium was sold out, it often sounded like a home game for the Steelers.
Despite the Steelers having to use their backup quarterback, they won 18-10 on Sunday.
After the first game of the 2024 season, the Falcons are back in a familiar spot. They have a losing record, which is how their last six seasons ended.
“We have to flush it,” Cousins said. “It’s disappointing, but you have to move forward and treat every game as its own entity. That’s where you go really after a win or a loss. That’s where your mind has to go.”
The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million guaranteed, believing he was the key to ending their longest streak of losing seasons since the 1980s.
Following the Matt Ryan era, Atlanta spent the last two seasons trying unsuccessfully to find a new quarterback. Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, and Taylor Heinicke did not meet expectations, so owner Arthur Blank made a huge investment in Cousins.
However, there was little improvement in Week 1. Cousins threw for only 155 yards and had two interceptions. The Falcons also lost a fumble, while the Steelers had no turnovers with Justin Fields stepping in as quarterback for Russell Wilson, who was out with a calf injury.
New coach Raheem Morris, who took over after Arthur Smith was fired, said this was the main issue. “You can’t expect anything else when you turn the ball over three times,” Morris said. “Basically, that’s the story of the game.”
The Steelers won without a touchdown, relying on six field goals — three of which were over 50 yards — from Chris Boswell.
This loss hurt even more when the Falcons saw who was calling plays for the other team. Smith, who became Pittsburgh’s offensive coordinator after being let go by Atlanta, got a chance for some revenge in the first week of the season.
Cousins was sacked twice and faced a lot of pressure from the Steelers, led by T.J. Watt. Pittsburgh didn’t need to blitz much; they were effective with their four-man rushes.
The situation was made worse by the crowd noise, as it sounded like a Pittsburgh home game. Thousands of Steelers fans waving towels made it difficult for the Falcons’ offense to communicate, forcing them to use silent counts.
One key play in the third quarter led to a major mistake by the Falcons. With a first down at the Steelers’ 32-yard line, tight end Ross Dwelley went in motion while Cousins seemed to signal for him to stay put. The snap hit Dwelley while he was moving, causing a fumble that was recovered by Watt.
“It’s extremely demoralizing for an offense to be on a silent count at their home field,” Watt said. “Steeler nation is incredible.”
Despite the Falcons investing heavily in Cousins and making it clear he’s their starting quarterback, fans might notice that the team also drafted Michael Penix Jr. at No. 8 overall.
If the 36-year-old Cousins has more performances like this one, the team could end up with a quarterback controversy. After an Achilles injury ended his last season with the Vikings last October, he seemed uneasy in the pocket.
“It’s the Pittsburgh Steelers. They’re a good defense,” Morris said. “Maybe he didn’t get comfortable. Those are things you have to evaluate when you look at the tape. We’ve got to get comfortable, and we’ve got to do it in an urgent manner.”
Even though it’s only the first game, the Falcons could have really used a win given their upcoming schedule.
They head to Philadelphia next Monday night to play against the Eagles and then come back home for another prime-time game on Sept. 22 against the Kansas City Chiefs, the two-time reigning Super Bowl champions.
