After week 15, the Atlanta Falcons have a 7-7 win-loss record. Everything was going well till week 9 when they had 6 wins and 3 losses, but 4 back-to-back losses derailed their campaign. Their QB Kirk Cousins took them to a victory against the Raiders, but it was far from convincing.

Even against a bottom-strung Raiders who only have 2 wins and 12 losses, the Falcons won 15-9. During the post-game conference, their HC Raheem Morris called out his QB and gave a powerful message that read, “He’s got to play better. We have to find a way to get him to play better. We have to play better at the quarterback position.” That’s right.

Against the Raiders, Kirk Cousins recorded 11 of 17 passes (64.7% completion rate) in 112 passing yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. On the other hand, Desmond Ridder had 23 of 39 passes (58.9% completion rate) with 208 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 2 interceptions. But it wasn’t a one-off game performance which worried the coach.

In 14 games in the 2024 season, the Falcons QB has 303 of 453 passes (66.8% completion rate) in 3,508 passes with 18 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. The fans want them to play hard. In this scenario, the next 3 games of the regular season become a must-win for them.

Kirk Cousins needs to lead them. In the NFC South division, they are 2nd, trailing behind the Buccaneers, who have an 8-6 record. It may be the only option for the team to qualify for the playoffs as they currently are 9th in their NFC conference. It might also open the way for the quarterback to stay at the franchise.

Will the Falcons part ways with Kirk Cousins?

There are many challenges for the 36-year-old signal caller in the Atlanta franchise. The first is the age factor. Young contenders like 24-year-old Michael Penix Jr. are coming up in the ranks. NFL insider Ian Rapoport reported before the week 14 game against the Vikings that the team would not bench him and revealed, “They do believe he will bounce back, they believe he’ll be resilient. They want to rally around Cousins.” But after the week 15 game, HC Morris might be having double thoughts.

Kirk Cousins is struggling to perform. This year marks his worst performance in terms of touchdowns and interceptions in any full season. The second worst show in interceptions came in 2022 for the Vikings when he had 29 touchdowns and 14 interceptions in 17 games. However, the QB might not be able to improve it as 11 touchdowns in the next 3 games would be a miracle.

The Dirty Birds are rooting for the veteran quarterback. They would want him to finish the season of grace. Can they do it? We’ll find out soon.