The Atlanta Falcons beat the Las Vegas Raiders 15-9 in one of the ugliest games you will ever have the displeasure of watching. Yes, all wins count the same, but it is easy to understand why fans are less than thrilled with how the Falcons losing streak came to an end. Kirk Cousins was limited to handing the ball off and hiding within the offense as much as reasonably possible.
Whether age, injury, confidence, or a combination of all three it was clear the quarterback was still lacking answers. Another ugly interception was the quarterback's ninth pick in his last five games, against one touchdown pass. Hard to continue to defend a quarterback that simply doesn't give you a chance to win against a capable team. This led to former Atlanta Falcon backup quarterback Kurt Benkert to weigh in:
Kirk is playing like a freshman in college right now.
— Kurt Benkert (@KurtBenkert) December 17, 2024
Late throws, bad accuracy, no blitz awareness, late across the middle, and “f it” throws when he’s going to get hit.
I don’t know what happened but this is insane. It’s not who he used to be.
It is hard to disagree with any of Benkert's takeaways based on what the Falcons have watched in the last three weeks. How do the Falcons continue to defend keeping Kirk Cousins in the lineup? It is a mess of their own design; one they seem to have zero answers for.
Benkert wasn't the only one to question Kirk's future with the broadcast openly asking what it would take for Penix to find his way into the lineup. The postgame presser was defined by Kirk's play and a sloppy offensive effort. Even in a win there is no escaping the full blown quarterback debate the Falcons have pressed themselves into.
This remains why the selection of Penix after signing Cousins to an $180-million dollar four-year-deal was a failure. Atlanta wasn't fully bought into either quarterback attempting to both win now and build for the future. It is predictably failed with Atlanta remaining defense of a quarterback whose contract they cannot escape unwilling to turn the franchise over to a player you were willing to spend a top-ten pick on.
Despite all of this, the Falcons are 7-7 with another very winnable game against the New York Giants ahead. Keeping themselves alive in the playoff race that hinges on a quarterback debate that is going to yet again define Atlanta's focus throughout the week.