Kirk Cousins saw game action for the third time this season, but unfortunately the Atlanta Falcons lost their fifth straight game in a 30-27 overtime heartbreaker. Cousins came in to replace Michael Penix Jr. after he suffered a knee injury in the third quarter, but failed to ignite a struggling offense.
However, just because the Dirty Birds fell to 3-7 doesn't mean that the 37-year-old is turning on Raheem Morris. As Morris finds himself on the hot seat amid a surplus of questions surrounding his future in Atlanta, Cousins made it clear that the second-year coach has his unconditional support.
Cousins says Raheem Morris is "resilient" and "built for this." He's a coach, Cousis said, "you want to win for." #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) November 16, 2025
For the second straight week, the Falcons fell in overtime despite possessing a lead late in the fourth quarter. While this loss didn't come across the pond against a red-hot Colts team, falling 30-27 in a winnable division game at home to the Carolina Panthers stings just as much—if not more.
Kirk Cousins doesn't believe Falcons' losing streak is an indictment of Kirk Cousins
After replacing Penix, the four-time Pro Bowler completed just six of 14 passes for 48 yards. He averaged just 3.4 yards per completion, and once the 25-year-old went-down, it became abundantly clear they couldn't keep up with Bryce Young, who was enjoying a career game through the air.
For a Falcons team that came up just short of the playoffs last season, it's been a tough pill to swallow this year. The playoff drought looks like it's going to extend to an eighth consecutive season, and even one of the NFL's most talented rosters cannot escape the nightmare of this coaching staff.
Just because Cousins believes in Morris doesn't mean everyone else does. The fanbase has completely turned on the 49-year-old for a plethora of reasons, but the two that stand out most are his lack of accountability and his abysmal clock management that cost the Falcons points again.
The Dirty Birds jumped out to a 21-7 lead, but were held to just six points in the second half. Once Penix injured his knee and it became clear he wouldn't return, the offense lost all of its momentum, so there's no amount of coach speak from Morris that will make this defeat feel any better.
Atlanta also surrendered nearly 500 total yards to a Panthers offense that is among the least talented in the NFL, while the league's top-rated pass defense had no answers for Carolina's young receiver duo of first-round rookie Tetairoa McMillan and second-year wideout Xavier Legette.
Morris has always been known as a player's coach, so Cousins didn't say anything fans didn't know. But a locker room motivator isn't yielding results on Sundays, so a change in leadership is desperately needed in order to right the ship. Maybe Matt LaFleur could be available this winter.