Anyone who has watched the Atlanta Falcons in recent years knows what their main issue has been. They lacked a top-notch quarterback. Kirk Cousins has been just what they needed.
Cousins threw three touchdown passes, helping the Falcons secure their position at the top of the NFC South with a 27-21 win over the struggling Dallas Cowboys, who faced their third consecutive loss and lost quarterback Dak Prescott to a hamstring injury.
Cousins completed 19 of 24 passes for 222 yards, including 13 completions in a row at one point for the Falcons (6-3). He had scoring throws of 9 yards to Drake London, 36 yards to Darnell Mooney, and 11 yards to Ray-Ray McCloud, marking the third game of the season where he threw three touchdowns.
When asked what the 36-year-old Cousins brings to the team, McCloud was quick to respond.
“Knowledge, poise, never letting us get complacent even when he’s not on his game,” the receiver said. “It’s just a blessing to have a vet like that. He’s like having another coach on the field.”
Cousins saw this kind of potential in Atlanta when he signed a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency.
He isn’t celebrating yet, but it’s clear that he feels something special is starting to happen with a team that hasn’t had a winning season since 2017 and has struggled to find a quarterback since Matt Ryan left.
“There’s a lot to look forward to in terms of the city and how we can all come together,” Cousins said. “You do one week at a time to get there and kind of see where you stand in February.”
Tyler Allgeier finished off the Falcons’ fifth win in six games by powering into the end zone from 6 yards out with just over 11 minutes remaining.
The Cowboys (3-5) attempted to come back with Cooper Rush after Prescott was ruled out. Rush completed 18 of 24 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown.
He led an 86-yard drive in the final minutes, ending with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert and a successful 2-point conversion. However, the Falcons recovered an onside kick to secure their win.
This marks the longest losing streak for Dallas since they lost four games in a row during the 2020 season, which was also the last time the Cowboys ended with a losing record (6-10). They have already matched their total losses from each of the last three seasons.
Coach Mike McCarthy is likely facing more scrutiny after this game, which included a failed fake punt, a fourth-down play by receiver CeeDee Lamb that resulted in a 3-yard loss, and poor coverage that allowed Mooney to catch a touchdown unguarded.
Additionally, the Dallas offensive line allowed three sacks against a team that had the fewest sacks in the NFL coming into this game, with only six through the first eight weeks.
“We have five losses and so we clearly understand where that puts us as far as what it will take,” McCarthy said. “We’ve got to get to winning.”
As if they didn’t have enough issues, the Cowboys now have to be concerned about Prescott’s health. He plans to get an MRI on Monday to check the extent of the damage to his hamstring.
“It’s something I’ve never felt,” Prescott said. “I saw the medical team and asked if I could make it worse. At that point, they said I wouldn’t be able to protect myself and decided to hold me out.”
Atlanta lost its top receiver early in the game when London fell hard on his right hip after catching a touchdown pass from Cousins.
Mooney and McCloud stepped up to help the team. Mooney caught five passes for 88 yards, while McCloud caught his first touchdown of the season, making the score 21-10 early in the third quarter.
“Everybody in our room is ready when their number is called,” McCloud said. Bijan Robinson had another strong performance for the Falcons, rushing 19 times for 86 yards and catching a team-high seven passes for 59 yards.
