Kirk Cousins’ return to Minnesota in Week 14 did not go according to the quarterback’s plans. His team suffered a 42-21 loss, and Cousins threw two interceptions.
The Atlanta Falcons have now lost four straight games, and in this run, their starting quarterback has thrown eight interceptions and no touchdown passes. Fans are concerned about the team, and voices are getting louder.
Kirk Cousins Facing Backlash From Fans
Cousins has faced a lot of backlash in the last few weeks as he has not played up to his standards after signing a four-year, $180 million contract with the team. In the loss to the Vikings, he managed to throw for 344 yards while completing 62.1% of his throws, but the lack of touchdowns along with multiple interceptions was too much to overcome.
The Falcons have Michael Penix Jr. waiting for his turn, and the team’s fans are getting more outspoken on social media seemingly for the rookie quarterback to get his opportunity. Here’s how they reacted after the loss to the Vikings:
start penix, we’ve seen enough
— christopher. (@316christopher) December 8, 2024
“We gotta see Michael Penix this season. Kirk Cousins is washed,” said one fan.
Another fan added, “Kirk Cousins should not start another game this season.”
Start Penix for the rest of the season
— CJ (@JetCityCJ) December 8, 2024
“Most overhyped signing in the offseason,” wrote one fan about the Falcons quarterback.
“The clock is seriously ticking for Kirk Cousins at this point,” said another fan.
Throwing your defense under the bus when you haven’t thrown a touchdown pass in 4 games is a bold move
— Brent (@Brent_Crowley) December 8, 2024
Cousins had a slow start to the season but was getting better every week and led the team to a 6-3 start. At that moment, things looked right, as the Falcons were sitting at the top of the NFC South, and their big-money free agent signing was playing quite well.
Unfortunately, the story has completely changed since then, and Atlanta is now one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South. In just 13 games, Cousins has thrown the most interceptions (15) of his career in a single season — a big concern.
Falcons HC Has Made the Decision on Cousins’ Role
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris has made it clear that Cousins will remain the team’s starting quarterback for the foreseeable future. He still trusts the four-time Pro Bowler and believes both he and the team can turn things around.
Atlanta has a favorable schedule left, and Cousins has a chance to redeem himself. However, if he fails to do so, the team could possibly part ways with him after this year.
#Falcons HC Raheem Morris continues to support QB Kirk Cousins:
“Everything is always discussed when you go watch the tape, but Kirk Cousins is our quarterback. Kirk played significantly better than he did the week before. We’ll do whatever is best to win football games, and… pic.twitter.com/r7cxFSErbO
— Bryce Lewis (@Bryce_Lewis86) December 8, 2024
These are the Falcons’ remaining matchups:
- Week 15: at Las Vegas Raiders
- Week 16: vs. New York Giants
- Week 17: at Washington Commanders
- Week 18: vs. Carolina Panthers
Atlanta has enough firepower on its roster to win all its remaining games, but since it has not played up to its standards, not a single win is guaranteed.
A loss to the Raiders next week will be completely unacceptable for the Falcons, so Cousins needs to be on his A game and have his best game of the season. The 36-year-old quarterback is under a ton of pressure, and it will be interesting to see how he will deal with the adversity.