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Kirk Cousins is getting paid the big bucks again. The former Vikings signal caller cashed in on a four-year, $180-million deal with the Falcons on the first day of the legal tampering period, and like Cousins’ career as a whole, it’s a polarizing move. Cousins detractors will point to middling (or upper-middle) team results — he has one career playoff win — the fact that he’ll be 36 by the time the season starts, coming off a torn Achilles and other criticisms that come with the territory of being a good-but-not-great quarterback. Cousins endorsers will point to strong individual stats despite some tough situations around him, a generally clean bill of health prior to the injury and the fact that he continues to play good football — perhaps some of the best of his career — well into his 30s.
The truth lies somewhere in between. Cousins is very, very good at some things. He’s not so good at others. Atlanta is betting that his good features can be accentuated. Cousins is hoping the same in his new home. Here are four major takeaways from the move.
1. Cousins is a strong fit for a familiar offensive system
Cousins spent the last two seasons under Kevin O’Connell, and last year he looked to be falling into lockstep with his head coach. Cousins completed 69.5% of his passes, the third-best mark in the NFL, while throwing a touchdown on 5.8% of his pass attempts, fourth-best in the NFL. Furthermore, he was sacked on just 5.2% of his dropbacks, sixth in the NFL, and his 1.6% interception rate was not only also eighth in the NFL but also the third-lowest of his career.
This came in a season where Cousins was asked to do more than ever before. He dropped back over 41 times per game, third in the NFL, and threw for over 291 yards per game, most in the NFL. So if the rate stats showed his ability to be efficient and avoid mistakes, the basic numbers showed he could maintain that efficiency even when…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/kirk-cousins-signs-with-falcons-why-hes-a-strong-fit-who-benefits-and-whats-next-for-atlanta/
Author : Zachary Pereles
Publish date : 2024-03-11 22:39:42
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