The Atlanta Falcons broke their four-game losing streak on Monday night with a 15-9 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. However, there’s no sugarcoating the team’s offensive struggles, and quarterback Kirk Cousins has been widely criticized for his performance at Allegiant Stadium.
Cousins, signed to a four-year, $180 million deal, had a lackluster outing on national television. His stats tell a grim story for Atlanta’s offense, and head coach Raheem Morris isn’t happy.
Raheem Morris Issues Clear Directive for Kirk Cousins
On Monday, Cousins completed 11 of 17 passes for 112 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Week 15 marked Cousins’ fifth straight game with a passer rating below 80, a concerning trend for a team still in the NFC South race.
Morris, who’s been quite supportive of Cousins this season, called out his veteran QB, saying what many Falcons fans have been thinking. “He’s got to play better,” Morris told reporters after the game. “We have to find a way to get him to play better. We have to play better at the quarterback position.”
“You go, you look at the tape, you review it with the people that it needs to be reviewed with. We’ll get all of the coordinators in the room, we’ll talk with everybody, and we got to play better at the quarterback position,” Morris added.
Raheem Morris on Kirk Cousins: "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."
— Josh Kendall (@JoshTheAthletic) December 17, 2024
Over the last five games, the former Minnesota Vikings passer has thrown just one touchdown compared to nine interceptions. His 16 interceptions this season are the most by a Falcons quarterback since Matt Ryan’s struggles in 2015.
When asked about Morris’ comments, Cousins admitted his performance hasn’t been good enough. “It’s not where I want to be,” Cousins said. “There’s a lot of room for improvement.”
He agreed with his coach’s assessment, equating it to “stating the obvious.” While Cousins remains a respected locker room leader, his veteran presence alone won’t secure Atlanta a playoff spot.
Kirk Cousins says he knows he has to play better, when asked if he’s feeling the pressure, especially after Raheem Morris said tonight, “we have to play better at the quarterback position.” pic.twitter.com/CxhCX66sFw
— Kelly Price (@thekellyprice) December 17, 2024
During the postgame press conference, Morris faced inevitable questions about rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The No. 8 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft has been waiting in the wings since leading the FBS with 4,903 passing yards last year. Morris didn’t commit to a change but left the door open, saying, “We’ve got so much to get better at, and those things will always be discussed, that’s just the nature of the beast in football.”
“It’s just so heavily talked about at the quarterback position because there’s only one guy out there. So for us, man, our mentality is to find a way to win the next game. That’s just the mentality that we’re going to have,” Morris continued.
Just 261 total yards and 4/13 on third downs against a struggling Raiders squad isn’t what Morris would have expected from a team with playoff aspirations. Besides a 30-yard touchdown connection with Drake London, Cousins could not deliver any meaningful production.
Atlanta is now 7-7 after the meager victory and one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South. Every decision from here on out carries playoff implications. This makes Morris’ message to Cousins and the rest of the Falcons crystal clear — play better or risk missing the postseason.
If Cousins can’t turn things around, the calls for Penix will only grow louder.