The Atlanta Falcons looked like a dumpster fire in their Week 14 loss to the Seattle Seahawks loss. The second half came with a collapse of epic proportions as Atlanta fell 37-9 and were eliminated from playoff contention while Kirk Cousins turned in by far his worst start of the season on Sunday.
The 37-year-old completed just 50% against his passes and threw two interceptions in Week 14 as his 162 passing yards marked the lowest in a single start this season. Yes, it came against against a stout Seattle defense, but Cousins' performance effectively shut the door on any future as a starter.
Since Michael Penix Jr. went down for the season, the veteran signal-caller has been adequate, but he hasn't done anything to elevate the offense that Penix didn't do. With that said, Zac Robinson's play-calling has turned the unit into a shell of itself, but it's clear that Cousins isn't the player he was.
Kirk Cousins' future in Atlanta is up in the air after Falcons' Week 14 flop
Part of it is age, part of it is a lack of mobility, and a lot of it is external factors that are largely out of his control. But regardless, Captain Kirk clearly isn't worth the $180 million the Falcons signed him to, because his final audition as a starting QB has only managed to expose the many holes in his game.
The four-time Pro Bowler tore his Achilles in 2023, which means that Robinson's play-calling has been incredibly stale. Last season, operating out of the pistol made up for that and he still looked adequate, but has adjusted to line up under center more frequently in limited action this season.
At first, that change worked handsomely in reviving the play-action offense against the Saints, but both the Jets and Seahawks adjusted to the predictable offense that Robinson has dialed up. The second-year OC is on the hot seat, and Cousins' struggles only confirm that he should be fired.
It hasn't helped to have Drake London inactive in three straight games due to a PCL sprain, but his return is near. That should more than likely help the offense return to form, but regardless, Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts should not be out-producing the remainder of the wide receiver room.
Moreover, the offensive line has struggled to hold up lately, as Cousins has taken seven sacks across his last three starts. The Michigan State product's best years came back in 2021 and 2022 behind strong front lines in Minnesota, but an OL that was among the best in football has struggled lately.
It's been the perfect storm of struggles. Bad weapons, bad play-calling, and an elite defense, but with Penix set to miss most of next season, the Falcons are going to have to look elsewhere for a younger and better short-term replacement this offseason.