Tag: Atlanta Falcons

This wasn’t the kind of homecoming Kirk Cousins had hoped for.

Cousins, returning to Minnesota where he played from 2018 to 2023, is facing questions about his job security in Atlanta. The Falcons are on a three-game losing streak, and Cousins has thrown six interceptions with no touchdowns during this stretch. Last week, he threw four picks in a 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, his worst performance in a decade.

“It’s kind of the challenge always in pro football to be able to get back up off the mat and get back going,” Cousins said after Wednesday’s practice.

Despite a vote of confidence from coach Raheem Morris, there is still talk about giving rookie first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. a chance to help turn around the Falcons’ offense. Morris said on Sunday he never thought about pulling Cousins from the game and repeated his support for the veteran on Wednesday.

“Got to go to Minnesota and get a big-time win and Kirk’s ready to go,” Morris said, also admitting that Cousins needs to bounce back from “obviously a tough game.”

“You know, realistically, man he is built for this and he’s ready to go,” Morris said.

The Falcons (6-6) are struggling to stay on top of the weak NFC South division. They currently hold the tiebreaker advantage over Tampa Bay (6-6), but they need Cousins to end his turnover streak.

Cousins, 36, was expected to be a dependable leader for the offense after signing a four-year, $180 million contract. Now, he is under pressure for all the wrong reasons. He said he expects the Minnesota fans to give him a loud reception.

“They’re great fans, great football fans,” Cousins said. “As a result, I think they’ll make it as hostile as they can for us.”

Cousins ranks fifth in the league with 3,052 passing yards. He has 17 touchdown passes, and his 13 interceptions are just one short of his career high.

Cousins insists he feels good physically after recovering from last season’s torn Achilles tendon. He admitted that he made mental mistakes in the loss to the Chargers, rushing some passes and sometimes failing to put enough force on his throws, which allowed defensive backs to intercept the ball.

Atlanta’s offensive coordinator Zac Robinson also noted that Cousins’ lack of velocity on his throws “just goes back to, you know, decisiveness, being decisive when you do cut it loose. Certainly those things happen with quarterbacks. There might be times where, you know, you’re not as convicted on a throw. And it shows by the way the football comes out.”

Morris said he still believes in Cousins’ arm and his mental approach to the game.

“He’s done a great job with us, and I have no real qualms about him bouncing back and him being able to play the game the way it needs to be done,” Morris said. “He’s still an elite processor. He has the ability to make all the throws. He’s shown that throughout the year.”

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores also said he expects Cousins to recover from his slump.

“I know the narrative is he had a tough game last week, but he’s played some good football,” Flores said. “I think the people in this building know what Kirk can do. He’s a very, very good quarterback.”

Flores added, “He’s a bounce-back type of guy, as we all know. I’m expecting his best, the best version of Kirk, the best version of that offense. It’s going to be a major challenge for us.”

Atlanta’s offensive output has dropped while Cousins’ turnovers have increased. The Falcons have been held to fewer than 20 points in each of their last three losses.

“Have to just believe that tough times don’t last, tough people do,” Cousins said. “You have to keep pushing.”

The Atlanta Falcons are set to face a significant challenge on Sunday, as they will be without their top receiver, Drake London, due to a groin injury. London, the team’s first-round pick in 2022, has been a pivotal figure in the Falcons’ offense, leading the team in targets, receptions, and yards and sharing the lead in receiving touchdowns with Bijan Robinson.

Standing at 6 feet 4 inches and weighing 213 pounds, London has consistently been a favorite target, with at least six targets in his past seven games and an impressive streak of at least five catches and over 50 yards receiving in his last four games. However, the Falcons will have to navigate this game without him.

Adding to the challenge, the Falcons are also making a quarterback switch from Desmond Ridder to Taylor Heinicke this week. It’s worth noting that it was Heinicke who threw the pass, resulting in London’s groin injury during the previous game against Tennessee. Despite London initially downplaying the severity of his injury, he did not practice throughout the week. Falcons coach Arthur Smith remains uncertain about when London will return but mentioned that the injury might not be as severe as initially feared.

With London sidelined, the Falcons will explore alternative options. They could turn to other wide receivers like Mack Hollins, KhaDarel Hodge, and newly acquired Van Jefferson, or they might consider shifting tight end Kyle Pitts to cover some of London’s routes.

Heinicke expressed confidence in his connection with Hodge and Hollins, citing their previous practice reps together, which proved beneficial in their recent game against Tennessee. However, the absence of London is undeniably a setback, though the fact that Heinicke was able to work with the potential replacements during the week, despite London’s absence, offers a glimmer of hope.

“It’s unfortunate,” Heinicke acknowledged. “Obviously, he’s a great player. But you saw what Red [Hodge] and Scotty stepped up, Van stepped up. So, I have a lot of confidence in those guys. Again, it’s unfortunate he’s not playing, but I have all the confidence in the world in those other guys.”

In addition to London, the Falcons will also be missing safety DeMarcco Hellams due to a hamstring injury and fullback Keith Smith, who is in concussion protocol.

The Atlanta Falcons are making a temporary change in their starting quarterback position. Head coach Arthur Smith announced that Taylor Heinicke will step in as the starting quarterback for the Falcons in Week 9 against the Minnesota Vikings, with Desmond Ridder serving as the backup.

Smith explained his decision, saying, “For this week only, given recent developments over the past 72 hours and our assessment of what’s best for this week’s matchup against Minnesota, Taylor will take the reins as our starting quarterback.”

Heinicke, who was initially signed as a backup for Ridder during the offseason, is poised to make his first start for the Falcons. This alteration in the starting lineup carries significance, as it designates Heinicke as the fourth starting quarterback during Smith’s tenure as the head coach of the Falcons.

Even though Ridder had a turnover problem and the team was only 28th in the league in points scored, Smith had been hesitant to make this move. Heinicke did see play, though, in the second half of the previous game against the Tennessee Titans. After being evaluated for a concussion, Ridder was initially cleared to return, but he did not rejoin the team. Smith was clear in saying that Ridder’s absence had nothing to do with his performance. The choice to start a quarterback was deferred until Wednesday due to this unforeseen event.

It’s interesting that Smith started Heinicke today because he was hesitant to start Ridder over Marcus Mariota, who struggled in his first season as the starting quarterback the previous year.

Even though they are leading the NFC South, the 4-4 Falcons have been struggling offensively—something that is uncommon for a top-seeded team to do when they trade quarterbacks midway through the season. Ridder hasn’t played well lately, averaging 212.6 yards per game with six touchdowns and six interceptions. Considering that he hasn’t thrown a touchdown since Week 6, this performance is a far cry from the promise he displayed at the conclusion of his debut campaign in 2022.

On the other hand, Heinicke has experience filling in at quarterback for the Washington Commanders in previous seasons, and he did a good job when called upon to do so.

Nevertheless, his inconsistent play has prevented him from becoming a consistent starter at quarterback. Heinicke has started 34 games in his six seasons in the NFL, posting a 12-12-1 starting record. His stellar numbers are a 5,920 yard completion percentage of 63.7%, 35 touchdowns, and 24 interceptions.

Heinicke’s Falcons debut will come against the Minnesota Vikings, who are also switching quarterbacks after Kirk Cousins’ season-ending injury. With a 4-4 record, both teams are poised for an exciting game. It is likely that Heinicke will take on a young Jaren Hall in a matchup that wasn’t anticipated at the beginning of the season.