The Atlanta Falcons entered Week 12 amid a five-game losing streak, and Michael Penix Jr.'s season-ending ACL tear made a bad situation even worse. It meant that Kirk Cousins would take over for the 25-year-old as Atlanta's starter for the rest of the season, which dashed any remaining playoff hopes this team had.
However, the 37-year-old has looked adequate in his second start of the year as the Dirty Birds lead the New Orleans Saints 16-7 at halftime. It hasn't been perfect, but Cousins has injected life into a Falcons' offense that was reeling after losing both Penix and Drake London due to injury last week.
In the first half, the veteran signal-caller completed 14-of-20 pass attempts for 118 yards, a touchdown, and a pick-six that went through Kyle Pitts' hands. Moreover, the officiating crew missed a blatant defensive holding penalty on the play, but the interception was the lone blemish on an impressive opening half.
Kirk Cousins impresses in first half after replacing Michael Penix Jr.
What makes this performance even more impressive is the fact that the Dirty Birds' receiver room is being held together by scraps. London's PCL sprain saw him miss his second game of the season, but Atlanta also named Casey Washington a surprise inactive prior to the rivalry clash in New Orleans.
Without London and Washington, the Falcons' receiver room is being led by Darnell Mooney, David Sills V, and KhaDarrel Hodge, but Pitts has also stepped up in the passing game after being quiet across the last few weeks. And aside from that bad drop on the interception, he's been impressive.
As for Cousins, he finally helped the struggling Mooney turn a corner amid a rough start to the season. The 28-year-old came just short of 1,000 yards last year, but a combination of injury concerns and a lack of chemistry with Penix nearly did him in amid the team's ongoing receiver woes.
A nine-yard strike to Sills marked Cousins' first score of the season and the first of Sills' lengthy NFL career. Their connection flashed throughout training camp, so it was incredibly reassuring for fans to see the rapport between the two veterans translate to in-game action.
The most impressive aspect of Captain Kirk's performance has been the fact that Zac Robinson hasn't been overly reliant on the run game. Bijan Robinson averaged six yards per carry in the first half, but the four-time Pro Bowler could have fared far worse in his latest audition as a starter.
Last time he started was back in Week 8 against the Miami Dolphins, and that ended in true disaster for the Dirty Birds. However, Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot's jobs are on the line, and it looks like their faith in the $180 million man was incredibly well-placed this time around.