The Atlanta Falcons enjoyed an adequate first half against the Arizona Cardinals, as they're tied 16-16 in Glendale. While the defense has sputtered, Kirk Cousins built on his best start of the year last weekend after throwing two touchdowns against a banged-up Arizona defense in the first half.
In the opening half, 37-year-old completed 10 of 22 passes for 115 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception. He started off rocky and improved as things went on, but his steady improvement came due to one common denominator: the lack of an Arizona pass-rush due to an injury to Josh Sweat.
Kirk Cousins was pressured on 10 of 22 dropbacks in that opening half and was 0-of-9 with an interception on those plays, per ESPN Research.
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) December 21, 2025
When he wasn’t pressured, Cousins was 10-of-13 for 115 yards and two touchdowns. #Falcons
When the Cardinals pressured Cousins, he struggled, going 0-of-9 with an interception, while all of his production came while he wasn't being pressured. And given he's one of the older signal-callers in football, his lack of mobility makes him a liability whenever defenses are able to send pressure.
And given he's playing for his future in Atlanta, this obvious defect is something teams will have to consider if and when he is released this offseason.
Kirk Cousins is basically unable to function when defenses send pressure
The four-time Pro Bowler used to be able to escape the pocket with relative ease, but most of his athleticism faded when he tore his Achilles back in 2023. Last season, Zac Robinson had to run the offense out of the pistol to make up for his lack of mobility, which hasn't been the case this season.
It doesn't help that the offensive line has started to struggle as of late, but it's even worse given the OL isn't at full strength. Jonathan Gannon has built an impressive, young defensive front in Arizona, but any semblance of pressure sent toward Cousins has him running frantically around the pocket.
It certainly didn't help to see Drake London drop a few easy passes in that first half, but he has struggled mightily against any non-Bucs opponents. Kirk is still very much an adequate starter at this stage of his career, but the only thing that's holding him back from being an elite bridge is mobility.
It goes without saying that Cousins is no Lamar Jackson, but you should at least expect your quarterback to have some athleticism. Not everyone has to be a carbon copy of Michael Vick, but the ability to extend plays is something that this offense has sorely lacked with both starting QB's this year.
The Michigan State product is still able to make some nice throws, but pairing Bijan Robinson with a more mobile quarterback until Michael Penix Jr. returns from injury could be the jolt of energy this offense needs.