Kirk

Cousins

Star-crossed Cousins is no stranger to off afternoons, but there is a strong argument to be made this was the worst start of his career. A 61-yard third quarter pick-six where he displayed the arm strength of a high schooler somehow wasn’t his worst throw. That would be the end zone INT he threw five minutes later. Seeming to apply “get the socks in the hamper” touch to the back line toss, Cousins targeted 4-5 different Chargers instead of any Falcons. It was breathtakingly inexcusable. Somehow, neither of those miscues ended the game, but Cousins’ fourth and final pick finally did the deed at the 0:47 mark of the fourth. Derwin James ran Drake London’s route for him, and that was that. Looking dead armed and uninspired, Cousins now has six picks to zero scores over his past three starts. All three of those games have been Falcons losses, leaving their playoff position highly precarious. The Michael Penix watch might begin in earnest if Cousins comes out flat in Week 14 against the Vikings.

Cousins, who dealt with elbow and shoulder issues headed into Week 11, was sacked once but faced pressure on seemingly every second half drop back as the Atlanta offensive line was overwhelmed by an aggressive Denver front seven. Cousins and the Falcons seemed disinterested after the Broncos took a commanding lead. The Falcons rested their starters for most of the fourth quarter. Cousins will look to get back on track in Week 13 against the Chargers. He hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass since Week 9.

Cousins was limited in Wednesday’s practice but got upgraded to a full session the following day. Head coach Raheem Morris called it normal soreness for Cousins and wide receiver Darnell Mooney, who was added to the injury report with an Achilles issue. Nothing to see here. Staring down a tough matchup with a strong Broncos defense, Cousins will hang out near the top of the QB2 ranks for Week 11.

Cousins popping up on Wednesday’s injury report was a bit of a surprise. Despite the surprise addition, he was able to log a limited session to kick off the week and was upgraded to a full participant on Thursday. Assuming he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, Cousins will be good to go in Week 11 against a stout Broncos defense that’s allowing the 10th-fewest passing yards per game this season.

Cousins evidently suffered some sort of throwing-arm injury in Week 10 but his early-week practice participation should assuage concerns about Week 11 for now. The matchup-based fantasy starter profiles as a high-end QB2 against the Broncos.

Cousins was sacked three times and pressured frequently in the second half when the Falcons were forced into a pass-heavy game script. Time and again — including on the last play of the game — Cousins threw short of the sticks against a Saints secondary that has proven beatable in recent weeks. He came into Week 10 with seven touchdown tosses in his past two outings. Cousins profiles as a top-12 fantasy option for Week 11 against the Broncos.

Cousins didn’t need to do much more than pound the intermediate against the Cowboys, his longest completion was a 36-yarder to Darnell Mooney on fourth-and-short where Trevon Diggs was picked and Mooney ran untouched into the end zone. The Falcons probably turtled a bit without Drake London. Regardless, Cousins-reliant managers have to be pleased with the line and should be hungry for more against a fading Saints defense in Week 10. Cousins should easily be in the QB1 conversation for that game.

Cousins, who threw for 509 yards and five scores in Week 3 against Tampa, ripped the Bucs again in Week 8. The Falcons moved the ball up and down the field at will, as Cousins found Kyle Pitts for two lengthy touchdowns and hit Darnell Mooney for a 30-yard TD strike. Rarely pressured, Cousins picked apart the Bucs from start to finish. He’ll be an elite fantasy play next week against the highly-exploitable Dallas defense.

Cousins was off the mark throughout the day, often missing pass catchers with high throws and appearing generally uncomfortable against an injury-marred Seattle secondary. Cousins in the third quarter fumbled on a big hit and a Seahawks defender scooped the ball and scored. The next possession, Cousins overthrew Drake London for an interception, essentially ending the game. The Falcons were once again run heavy in this one. That left little volume for Atlanta pass catchers. Cousins will look to bounce back in Week 8 against a generous Tampa secondary in what should be a back-and-forth affair.

Cousins’ stat line looked quiet on a ground-and-pound day for the Falcons. He attempted 30 passes while the Falcons also ran the ball 34 times. Managing the offense consistently, Cousins’ sole touchdown throw was a three-yard pass to Drake London. He may have had another touchdown throw later in the game on a deep shot to Kyle Pitts, where Pitts stopped running and did not make a play on the ball. No turnovers or sacks against a weak Panthers defense for Cousins, though fantasy managers would have liked more scoring. The Falcons play another struggling defense in the Seahawks for Week 7, putting Cousins in the high-end QB2 range.