Kirk Cousins Reflects on Falcons Debut Loss: “Needed to Play Better”

Quarterback Kirk Cousins made his debut with the Atlanta Falcons, but the highly anticipated game did not go as planned. The Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Falcons 18-10 during Atlanta’s Week 1 home opener, leaving the expected explosive offense looking rather subdued.

Cousins completed 16 of 26 passes for a total of 155 yards, along with one touchdown and two interceptions. The last interception ended a critical drive during the fourth quarter while the game remained within a single score. Notably, Cousins recorded just 19 passing yards in the second half—his lowest total in 13 years of professional football.

“I was disappointed,” Cousins expressed after the game. “Certainly disappointed. You always go out there with an expectation that you’re going to play at a high level, and we didn’t play up to our standard today.”

The Falcons’ defense held the Steelers to just 18 points, but the Falcons’ offense struggled to find its rhythm throughout the game. A fumbled snap hit tight end Charlie Woerner while he was in motion, and several penalties thwarted promising drives. The team appears to be navigating the transition under first-year offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s system.

“We needed to play better—that’s the bottom line,” Cousins acknowledged. “I thought our defense played very well; I thought our special teams played very well. We didn’t complement that enough on offense.”

Atlanta signed Cousins to a lucrative four-year, $180 million deal during the offseason, hoping to finally put an end to their quarterback struggles. For over a decade, Cousins has proven to be a valuable player in the NFL, leading the league in touchdown passes (18) before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury in Week 8 of the previous season.

The addition of Cousins sparked excitement among fans about the potential of the Atlanta offense. Along with Cousins, the Falcons had also drafted talented playmakers like running back Bijan Robinson, wide receiver Drake London, and tight end Kyle Pitts with top-10 picks over the last three drafts. The enthusiasm surrounding the team was palpable, and they sold out their season ticket options before training camp for the first time in two decades.

During the game, Pitts managed to secure a 12-yard touchdown catch. However, he and London combined for only five receptions totaling 41 yards. Robinson was featured prominently but averaged just 3.8 yards per carry, amassing 68 yards on 18 attempts. He also contributed five catches for 43 yards.

“Kyle was able to get the touchdown,” said Raheem Morris, the new head coach of the Falcons. “We didn’t get the ball to Drake enough, but you want to get the ball to Bijan Robinson, and to do that, you must maintain possession. You can’t turn the football over, as doing so restricts your opportunities to get the playmakers the ball, and all those things hurt you.”

Cousins mentioned his intention to analyze game film to identify the mistakes made by the Falcons. He plans to dive right into study mode and will be sending voice notes to coaches over the next few hours to reflect on the performance.

Looking ahead, Atlanta faces another challenging matchup in Week 2, as they prepare for a “Monday Night Football” showdown against the Philadelphia Eagles.