After six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, fans in the north know all about Kirk Cousins. The 36-year-old looks and puts up numbers like a franchise quarterback but on Sunday afternoon a new fan base, the Atlanta Falcons, were introduced to Cousins’s fatal flaw.
The play happened late in the Falcons loss to the New Orleans Saints. With the Falcons trailing 20-17, Cousins faced a 4th-and-4 from the Saints’ 43 yard line with seven seconds to go. With no timeouts remaining, the Falcons sent two receivers downfield to pick up a first down and a potential game-winner for Younghoe Koo but Cousins threw to Ray Ray McCloud in the flat, who was stopped short of the sticks to seal a Saints victory.
Atlanta Falcons fans were introduced to Kirk Cousins's fatal flaw on Sunday
If this sounds familiar,that’s because Vikings fans have seen this before. Cousins faced a similar scenario in a 2022 NFC Wild Card Game against New York and faced a 4th-and-8 with the Vikings looking for a game-tying score. While Jefferson was double-teamed downfield, Cousins elected to check down to T.J. Hockenson, who was woefully short of the first down to end the game.
It’s a theme Cousins has had throughout his career. After six seasons with the Washington Commanders, Cousins signed a three-year, $84 million contract with the Vikings to fill their need for a franchise quarterback. Cousins threw for 4,000 yards in four of his six years in Minnesota and threw for 30 or more touchdowns in three seasons but his on-field success amounted in just one playoff win – a 2019 Wild Card victory over the Saints.
Of course, that playoff win came at the right moment. Cousins’ throw to Adam Thielen and a touchdown pass to Kyle Rudolph three plays later helped earn him a two-year, $66 million contract extension and it was a big reason he signed a one-year, $35 million extension when Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and Kevin O’Connell replaced Rick Spielman and Mike Zimmer following the 2021 season.
But the Vikings ultimately decided not to re-sign Cousins last offseason and Cousins signed with the Falcons in free agency. The Falcons were similar to the Vikings as they were looking for an elite quarterback for the first time since Matt Ryan led them to the Super Bowl in the 2016 season and they paid up to get it, handing Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract with $100 million in guarantees.
The Falcons are getting a return on their investment as Cousins has led the Falcons to first place in the NFC South with a 6-4 record but just like Sunday’s game Vikings fans know how this ends.
Maybe Cousins will throw another pass short of the sticks or he’ll be unable to shake a rough start. Perhaps it won’t be his fault like when Koo missed three field goals against the Saints on Sunday or he’ll line up under the guard on a pivotal fourth down.
Perhaps the Falcons already know after selecting Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of April’s NFL Draft. But whatever happens from here, there’s a good chance that Vikings fans have already seen it.