ATL Standard

Before the Falcons' victory against the Buccaneers on Sunday, Coach Raheem Morris expressed his desire for an "elite processor" as a quarterback. His vision was realized with Kirk Cousins leading the team. Cousins has excelled on the field, ranking high in passing yards, completions, and tight-window throws. Off the field, he has become a leader for the team.

During Sunday's game, Cousins demonstrated his understanding of play concepts by throwing four touchdowns. The first touchdown involved reading safeties and finding Kyle Pitts open for a 36-yard score. Cousins commented: "On the touchdown, (Todd Bowles) was doubling Drake and Mooney...I just put some air on it and said go run underneath it."

The second touchdown had Pitts as a primary target from the start. Cousins placed the ball perfectly between linebackers for Pitts to outrun defenders to the end zone. He noted Pitts' ability to pull away: "His ability to pull away is pretty elite."

For the third touchdown, Darnell Mooney's route created separation from defenders, allowing an easy pass from Cousins. He stated: "The touchdown to Mooney was just a great route by him."

The final touchdown saw Bijan Robinson as Cousins' fifth read, resulting in an uncovered catch-and-throw situation. Cousins explained: "The touchdown to Bijan (Robinson), he's really my fifth option in the progression..."

Cousins credited his success partly to strong offensive line protection that allowed him time to progress through reads and execute deep routes effectively.

"When you have a pocket like on the first touchdown to Kyle," he said, "being able to progress and get backside and having a pocket to do that makes such a difference."

Overall, Cousins' performance highlighted his mental acumen and connection with teammates.