Primetime Kirk Cousins is final boss for QB to overcome with Falcons

Atlanta Falcons QB Kirk Cousins is becoming more comfortable with each snap. After suffering a torn Achilles tendon in 2023, the 35-year-old understandably began the season with some rust.

Cousins completed just 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown in Atlanta’s 18-10 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1. His poor performance in the season opener caused some concern for the Falcons, who signed the veteran quarterback to a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency. 

Cousins has improved incrementally since then—he has passed for at least 230 yards in the past three games and thrown three touchdowns with two interceptions. But here's the deal: Primetime Kirk simply doesn't follow suit.

Atlanta holds a 2-2 record heading into their Week 5 divisional matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the game televised on Thursday Night Football, a Falcons victory could not only give them the division lead in the NFC South, it could also silence the Primetime Kirk haters.

Kirk Cousins will get another chance to prove he can perform in primetime

The game will be a big test for Cousins, who has historically struggled in primetime games—he has a 13-21 record (.382). In his 115 non-primetime starts, Cousins has posted a 65-48-2 record (.573). 

The QB's struggles under the bright lights have been blown out of proportion to some extent, but it has become a significant narrative surrounding his career. He helped quell that narrative a bit in Week 2 by leading Atlanta to a last-minute win over the Philadelphia Eagles. The following week, however, the Falcons lost a close game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.

In 10 career games on Thursday Night Football, Cousins has a passer rating of 97.6 with 3,101 yards, 21 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. His record is what's cause for concern: With the Washington Commanders, he was 1-4 on Thursday Night Football, and with the Minnesota Vikings, he was 3-2 on Thursday Night Football. A win over the Buccaneers would bring him one game away from balancing the wins and losses column in Thursday games.

It’s taken some time for Cousins to get acclimated to a new team and develop chemistry with a new offensive unit, but he’ll need to have his best performance of the season to keep up with Tampa Bay’s high-powered passing attack.