There were a lot of losers in the Atlanta Falcons' Week 14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, because there isn't a lot to get excited about in a 37-9 loss. However, nobody was a bigger loser than Kirk Cousins, who turned in what is likely his worst start of the season against a stout Seattle defense.
The 37-year-old completed 15 of his 30 pass attempts for 162 passing yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions. And the biggest highlight of his day was a 25-yard touchdown to Darnell Mooney that the refs overturned despite Mooney re-establishing himself after being forced out of bounds.
Other than that, there was little to be excited about. He only completed 50% of his passes and it's become clear that nothing will save this offense. But with that said, here are the biggest takeaways from Captain Kirk's dismal performance as the Dirty Birds dropped to 4-9 on the season on Sunday.
3 biggest takeaways from Kirk Cousins' pathetic Week 14 performance vs. Seahawks
The coaching staff isn't making anything any easier
As much as he is to blame for this loss, he's far from the only person to blame. Cousins has sorely missed Drake London amid his absence, as the pair has yet to play with each other this season. But OC Zac Robinson and Raheem Morris need to be fired before they do any more irreparable damage.
Moreover, Morris' mismanagement of the receiver room has been worst for Cousins. The rotation between Deven Thompkins, Dylan Drummond, Casey Washington, KhaDarrel Hodge, and K.J. Osborn is not how you set a signal-caller up for success, especially after Michael Penix Jr. went down.
They were out-scored 31-3 in the second half, which is more on Morris' ineptitude and underqualifications than Cousins' multiple interceptions. And continuing to make Washington a healthy scratch while Osborn is stashed on the practice squad certainly doesn't help with comfort.
He is no longer a starter-worthy QB
This is a hard pill to swallow, but it's true. Cousins will be 38 by the start of next season, and the fall-off has been sharp. The Michigan State product was named to the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2022, yet Terry Fontenot still awarded him a four-year $180 million contract at age 36 after tearing his Achilles.
That Achilles tear has started to take its toll, as has London's absence, but the real reason for the struggles is Cousins isn't who he used to be. He threw a career-high 16 interceptions last season, but still looked like a viable bridge starter. But as it stands, he has no claim to being a current-age starter.
They had a chance to trade him last offseason, yet Fontenot inexplicably chose not to. And now that decision is coming back to haunt him, but it still seems likely that the Falcons exercise the out in his contract this offseason in order to save money rather than retain him behind Penix.
Kyle Pitts needs to stay in Atlanta
Amid an afternoon full of disaster by the Falcons' offense, only Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts showed up. Mooney's only big play was called back and Dylan Drummond enjoyed the best day of all of the wide receivers. But with London still inactive, Cousins' favorite target remains his young tight end.
Pitts caught six passes for a season-high 90 yards in the loss, as the fifth-year tight end managed to capitalize on Seattle defense's vulnerability against tight ends. And with him approaching free agency, he's starting to complicate the once-easy choice to let him leave this offseason.