Falcons-Saints preview, part deux: Could Kirk Cousins win NFL MVP? Atlanta is rolling

Just because the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are going in totally different directions right now does not mean the Dirty Birds can take their bitter rival lightly. Atlanta enters play at 6-3 on the year, 4-0 in the division and 6-1 in conference games. New Orleans is 2-7 on the campaign and riding a brutal seven-game losing streak. To make matters worse, they just fired head coach Dennis Allen.

On the latest episode of The Blogging Dirty Podcast, I flew solo like a cup and answered a few hard-hitting questions that were percolating in my head that I think Dirty Bird Nation is also wondering about. What does Atlanta need to do to sweep the Saints to get to 5-0 in the division? Why did Terry Fontenot not trade for a pass-rusher? What if Zac Robinson leaves? Can Kirk Cousins win NFL MVP?

While the answers to all four questions are not exactly crystal clear at the moment, the fact we are even having these conversations speaks volumes about the status of the team that calls Flowery Branch home. It could be so much worse. Look across the division. Who will be the Saints next head coach? Is Bryce Young the starter going forward in Carolina? Will Tampa Bay still make the playoffs?

Let's start with the one that matters above all the rest: What must Atlanta do to beat the Saints again?

What the Atlanta Falcons must do to complete sweep of New Orleans Saints

With the Saints having moved on from Dennis Allen after last week's debacle in Charlotte, Darren Rizzi has been promoted from within to serve as the interim. If New Orleans loses its eighth game in a row, there is virtually no chance this team can make the playoffs, not that there is much of a chance anyway. We are talking about the Saints having to win its final seven games to even get above .500!

The biggest thing Atlanta needs to do is run the football with conviction. I understand that it is on the road in the most hostile environment, but you have to take the crowd out of the game. Being locked in and not getting stupid pre-snap penalties on offense would go a long way. From there, Kirk Cousins must take advantage of a secondary that will be without Marshon Lattimore forever going forward.

On the other side of the ball, Derek Carr will make mistakes at quarterback. Not to say that Atlanta's secondary needs to bait him into throwing picks, but be prepared for the opportunity to arise. As long as the Falcons win the turnover battle and actually score an offensive touchdown vs. one of the worst teams in football, the Dirty Birds should be in great shape to win the game and the NFC South.

The are many ways for the Falcons to win, but they simply cannot overlook their arch rival in this one.

Atlanta Falcons fans must prepare for Zac Robinson leaving ... eventually

I introduced a new segment on this week's show titled, And Here's to You, Mr. Robinson! That is obviously a play on a Simon and Garfunkel staple, but it helped encapsulate the good vibes going for Atlanta's two Robinsons of note. Bijan Robinson is starting to take that next step into becoming a star receiver. His vision in the backfield is really starting to open up things for Zac Robinson's play-calling.

And that right there is what I am worried about. While I believe Raheem Morris to be the right head coach to lead this team, remember that Kyle Shanahan was Dan Quinn's play-caller for two seasons before bolting to San Franciso. The good news for Atlanta is this is only Robinson's first year as a play-caller after having just followed Morris over from Sean McVay's Los Angeles Rams staff.

The only real problem is this is not expected to be a deep coaching pool for all the vacancies that might open up. Mike Vrabel will get a job. Kevin Stefanski will probably get one as well if he is let go from Cleveland. After that, you would be looking at coordinators such as Ben Johnson, Todd Monken and Bobby Slowik on offense, as well as Aaron Glenn on the defensive side of the ball.

We have to realize that if Atlanta keeps playing well, Robinson would be on the next tier of candidates.

Why Atlanta Falcons did not deal for a pass-rusher at the trade deadline

Tuesday was a day, alright. Lost in the shuffle of something far more important, the NFL trade deadline came and went, and Atlanta did not solve its most daunting issue. Why did Terry Fontenot not land a pass-rusher of note at the deadline? My guess is the New York Giants wanted too much for Azeez Ojulairi, who may walk anyway in free agency. The other is Calais Campbell could be released.

For as much as I would have loved to see my fellow Dawg and Marietta native Ojulari suit up for the Falcons, why give the G-Men additional compensation when he could just sign with his hometown team next year? As for Campbell, it was dumb that the Falcons let him walk in free agency to sign with the Miami Dolphins. They were thought to be the better team this summer, but they are a ball of suck.

I understand that the right player and the right offer did not manifest for Fontenot to act swiftly and acquire the player this contending team desperately needs. However, this looks to be the best Falcons team we have seen since the Super Bowl run eight years ago, or at least as good as the wild card team the following year. The dollars and cents have to make sense, but the fans deserved better.

If Atlanta ends up losing a playoff game that the Falcons should have won, it will be because of this...

What Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins must do to win NFL MVP

Are you seeing this? What we have seen the last several weeks out of Kirk Cousins suggests that he may have a real shot at winning NFL MVP and not just NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors. While FanDuel Sportsbook only has him at +2600 heading into Week 10, I think his odds better than several quarterbacks ranked ahead of him. I will take Cousins over four of the guys with better odds.

I am not interested in giving it to Lamar Jackson or Patrick Mahomes again, especially since the latter has not earned it yet. They could earn it in time, but they are not first-half MVPs. The same can be said with Joe Burrow and potentially Jalen Hurts, who I do not see as serious candidates. I do think Josh Allen, Jared Goff, who was my pick at the start of the year, and Jayden Daniels have a chance.

So to outline what Cousins needs to do to win NFL MVP, he needs to be the reason Atlanta goes something like 6-2 in its final four games to finish with a 12-5 record and be in contention for a first-round bye. If you are quarterbacking one of the four-to-six best teams in football, the chances of you winning NFL MVP go up astronomically. It may be Allen or Goff's year to win it, but it may well be Cousins' too.

Cousins also must outperform Daniels and fellow fringe MVP contender Sam Darnold head-to-head.