With high expectations facing a potential 0-2 start, Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons suddenly regained their confidence.
The outcome was a game-winning drive that changed the outlook for the season.
Cousins completed five out of six passes for 70 yards, finishing with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Drake London with just 34 seconds left, leading the Falcons to a surprising 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.
“It was really, really important for us to be able to come in here and get a win,” Cousins said. “We had to do it any way we could. As so many NFL games do, it really came down to the final drive.”
If Atlanta makes the playoffs for the first time since 2017, this drive, which took just over a minute, could be seen as a key moment.
It seemed like a switch flipped for Cousins, who had looked quite out of sync in a 18-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season opener.
There had been speculation about whether he was fully healed from a torn Achilles tendon that ended his last season with the Minnesota Vikings, which led to the Falcons keeping him out of the entire preseason.
But everything came together after the Eagles missed an opportunity to secure the win when Saquon Barkley dropped an easy pass that could have been a first down or even a touchdown.
The Falcons were lucky to even get a chance to win the game.
Yet, they made the most of it, leaving Lincoln Financial Field in stunned silence.
“I’m proud of the way we played, proud of the way we found a way to win, and we can build on that,” Cousins said. “I think it will build some character and some resolve in our group. I’m really looking forward to building on that up ahead.”
