PHILADELPHIA – Veteran Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins didn’t appear like himself throughout Atlanta’s 18-10 Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh after getting back from an Achilles tear suffered in Week 8 of the 2023 season when Cousins was within the midst of a profession season with Minnesota.
Regardless of the damage and his advancing age, the Falcons signed Cousins, 36, to a four-year, $180 million contract with $100M of that assured.
Cousins did not look snug towards T.J. Watt and the Steelers, one thing sophisticated by a wierd shift to a variety of pistol for what has been one of the crucial profitable conventional play-action quarterbacks within the NFL.
The aim for Atlanta is to cease the early bleeding with an upset win in Philadelphia on Monday night time towards the 1-0 Eagles set to embark on their true residence opener after a grueling journey to Brazil that resulted in a 34-29 conquer the Inexperienced Bay Packers.
“I really feel good. I really feel good,” Cousins insisted when pressed about his return from the Achilles damage.
Analyst and former Eagles backup quarterback Chase Daniel was amongst a number of outdoors observers who famous that Cousins didn’t look wholesome.
“No, the Achilles feels good, and I really feel like I can transfer and push as I usually would,” Cousins insisted.
That results in the query of recent offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, who had arrived from a extra play-action mindset underneath Sean McVay with the Los Angeles Rams that started to combine the pistol in, utilizing Cousins within the pistol the place the QB regarded disjointed.
“I believe a few of the run recreation and the way we set it up we’ll change these issues week to week,” Robinson stated of the unusual shift. “You understand, we’re by no means married to at least one factor or the opposite. These issues will ever be evolving primarily based on the sport plan that week. However definitely just like the pistol. You understand, we did a ton with the Rams final 12 months. And it is one thing that provides you nice versatility throughout the board. So we’ll proceed to seek out these spots to combine it.”
Robinson believes the formation can supply the very best of each worlds.
“That was one thing that we, final 12 months with the Rams, we realized like, man, you actually have type of all the things at your disposal since you’re within the dot and also you type of have your play go. You’ve gotten all the things,” Robinson stated. “You’ve gotten your drop-back go nonetheless intact there. So like what the flexibility of the pistol does convey. However once more, we’ll proceed to combine it and it’ll be base to base on a week-to-week foundation.”
Throughout Week 1 the Falcons did not have a lot of something with Cousins finishing simply 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards with a landing and two interceptions towards the Steelers, one thing Robinson would additionally not tie to Cousins’ well being.
“Definitely not involved with Kirk’s mobility in any respect,” Robinson stated. “He is regarded nice on the market. He is shifting round very well at this time. So no issues in any respect.”
The Eagles are also approaching it as enterprise as standard with Cousins, a quantity QB able to placing up massive numbers when proper. Final season with the Vikings, Cousins handed for 364 yards and 4 touchdowns with a 125.6 ranking passer ranking throughout a 34-28 Eagles’ shootout win.
“I do consider he is wholesome sufficient. If he wasn’t, they in all probability would not play him,” Philadelphia defensive coordinator Vic Fangio stated.
“Kirk has been an unbelievable soccer participant on this league for a very long time. A variety of respect for him,” added head coach Nick Sirianni. “He is an incredible soccer participant. So, we will must be prepared. [His health is] not one thing you possibly can management, if he was feeling good in the future, not feeling good the opposite day. We’ve to be prepared for the participant that we all know he’s, as a result of he is a heck of a participant, and we have got to be prepared for him as a result of he could make groups look dangerous due to his expertise.”
McMullen’s Week 2 Prediction: Eagles 31, Falcons 23
