Cousins throws away Falcons’ chances, and possibly their season, in return to Minnesota

Once more time, Kirk Cousins thrilled the home crowd in Minnesota. Unfortunately for Cousins, though, he was wearing the road team’s uniform.

Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons, stumbling through a three-game losing streak and on the verge of losing their division lead, came into Minnesota hoping to level out what’s become a late-season spiral. Instead, the spiral grew only steeper as the Vikings defeated Atlanta 42-21.

Cousins was thoroughly outplayed by Sam Darnold, his replacement, and the Falcons’ season is now in serious trouble as a result. Minnesota, meanwhile, has no regrets, an appears well on the way to securing a playoff berth with Darnold at the helm.

A longtime fixture in Minnesota, Cousins and the Vikings amicably parted ways last year after it became clear that Minnesota wouldn’t offer Cousins the length of contract he wanted. Coming off a season-ending Achilles injury, Cousins signed with Atlanta, which was looking to shed its long-running reputation for underachievement.

The Vikings had Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons on the run all day Sunday. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)

Cousins has had his moments this season, including a career-high 500-yard passing game, but the Atlanta inertia is strong indeed. Slowly, inexorably, Cousins has slid from a competent, at times exceptional, pocket passer to a flustered turnover machine dishing out interceptions like Halloween candy.

Sunday wasn’t Cousins’ worst game of the season; he threw four interceptions in a debacle last week against the Chargers that started the calls to start backup Michael Penix Jr. But Cousins did serve up two more crushing interceptions and a third, probably-should-have-been interception on the afternoon, and twice he led the Falcons inside the Minnesota 5 and couldn’t punch the ball into the end zone.

And that’s where the Falcons’ second problem on the afternoon reared its head: terrible penalties. Atlanta committed an astounding 12 penalties for 127 yards on the afternoon, the…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-12-08 21:09:00

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