In the Atlanta Falcons' impressive 24-10 victory in Week 12, it was abundantly clear that Kirk Cousins was the star of the show. In his first start following Michael Penix Jr.'s season-ending ACL tear, the 38-year-old took a beaten-up offense and managed to help snap Atlanta's five-game losing streak.
Cousins completed 16 of 23 pass attempts for 199 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception, but the interception wasn't necessarily on him. The refs missed a blatant defensive holding against the Saints and the pass went straight through Kyle Pitts' hands, but the offensive lowlights ended there.
He connected with Darnell Mooney for a beautiful 49-yard touchdown, as his efforts ignited an Atlanta offense that was missing Drake London. Penix's availability for the start of next season is already in doubt, but if things keep up, it's no guarantee he'll even retain the starting job much longer.
Kirk Cousins' Week 12 performance made Falcons fans realize Michael Penix Jr. is holding this offense back
Penix enjoyed a roller-coaster opening season as Atlanta's starter, but certainly showed flashes of being the franchise quarterback fans expected him to blossom into. However, this third ACL tear since college derailed all that momentum, which made Terry Fontenot's decision not to trade Cousins look like a stroke of genius.
Cousins looked genuinely putrid in Penix's stead back in Week 8 against the Dolphins, but rose to the occasion in the rivalry clash. The four-time Pro Bowler knew that rising to the occasion as QB1 could open the door for him to nab another opportunity to start, and he accomplished exactly that.
Part of why the Michigan State product looked so impressive was because he was operating under center instead of the pistol formation that the 25-year-old played under. It paid immediate dividends, as the dormant play-action offense finally came back to life against the Falcons' archrivals.
Moreover, Cousins wasn't scared to attack the middle of the field and throw between the numbers, which is an area where Penix has typically struggled. Even without his superstar WR1 and impressive youngster Casey Washington being healthy scratched, his performance was in line with what Zac Robinson wants to dial up.
While he has displayed signs of age while being affected by a 2023 Achilles tear, he looked like the four-time Pro Bowler we saw in Minnesota against the Saints. In the face of a heartbreaking end to Penix's season, he's provided stability in the wake of some disheartening circumstances
The Falcons signed him to a four-year $180 million contract during the 2024 offseason, and while that looked like an unmitigated disaster prior to Sunday, Terry Fontenot might not be running to exercise the out in his contract this offseason anymore.