I don't know if we will get a better Thursday Night Football game after what we saw happen between the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to kick off Week 5 earlier this week. It was a clash of NFC South titans, with both teams vying for early playoff positioning. It was a night to remember for Atlanta, on top of Matt Ryan going into the ring off honor. It was a night to forget for Tampa Bay.
Atlanta won 36-30 in overtime in what was by far and away Kirk Cousins' greatest performance in a Falcons uniform to date. He played brilliantly throughout. Cousins completed 42-of-59 passes for 509 yards, four touchdowns and an interception. His game-winner to KhaDarel Hodge shocked the entire NFL world. Not only did it win the game for Atlanta, but it broke one of Ryan's franchise records.
The 45-yard completion to pay dirt gave Cousins 509 passing yards on the day. It eclipsed Ryan's career-best mark of 503. This came during the Falcons' most recent Super Bowl run and Ryan's NFL MVP season in 2016. He and Julio Jones torched the Carolina Panthers that week. With Ryan and his family in attendance, it made it even sweeter, as Cousins looked up to Ryan after coming to the NFL.
No matter what happens the rest of the way for Cousins and the Falcons, we will always have this.
Kirk Cousins breaking Matt Ryan's record on Matt Ryan night was poetic
Through their first five games of the season, the Falcons are 3-2 on the year, 3-0 in the NFC, 2-0 in the division and sitting atop the NFC South in first place heading into their mini bye week. Truth be told, this team could be 5-0 just as easily as it could be 0-5. Every game they have played has been decided by only one possession. It just goes to show how battle tested this Falcons team already is.
What ignited a fire in my to write this article, other than not working on Thursday or Friday this week, was I knew how big of a moment it was for everyone involved. Ryan deserved to go into the Ring of Honor on a night the Falcons won. Cousins needed a game to prove to Dirty Bird Nation he is their guy. Raheem Morris needed another win to build up momentum. Atlanta needed a win after last week.
Although Eastern Tennessee and Western Carolina got the worst of it, Atlanta dealt with some truly awful weather this past week. Factor in a chemical plant burning to the ground just up the road in Conyers, and this city is struggling. While Georgia will get a shot at redemption vs. Auburn, the Atlanta Braves' season is already over. At least Atlanta has its best Falcons teams in years to root for.
You must protect your turf in divisional play, but that was a win the Falcons of yesteryear would lose.