With Drake London sidelined, the Atlanta Falcons' wide receiver depth has been pretty woeful, but that didn't stop Kirk Cousins from turning in his best start of the season. In the Week 15 upset over the Bucs, Cousins threw for 373 yards and three scores in large part due to Kyle Pitts' career game.
The 37-year-old might have finally proven he's still a starter-worthy QB in this league, but the most impressive part is the fact he did this with a beat-up receiver room. Darnell Mooney is still not 100% and the rest of the depth chart consists of career journeymen and former undrafted free agents.
One of Cousins' favorite targets during training camp was David Sills V, and Sills has been the main receiver stepping up in London's absence. And a couple of promising performances from the West Virginia product have him pushing for additional snaps once London returns from his PCL sprain.
Kirk Cousins' connection with David Sills V could be what keeps him in Atlanta long-term
The veteran wideout entered the week with just 21 career receptions and eight catches for 65 yards on the season, but practically doubled those numbers on Thursday night. The 29-year-old caught six passes for 78 yards on the evening, which marked the best single-game performance of his career.
The Dirty Birds' 29-28 come-from-behind victory saw the rapport Sills and Cousins helped Atlanta torch the Tampa Bay secondary, but it wasn't all perfect. He was wide open on what would have been a long touchdown, but a perfect pass from Cousins sailed right through his hands for a costly drop.
With that said, he led all Falcons' receivers in targets, receptions, and yards against the Bucs and only Pitts and Bijan Robinson were more impactful through the air. And that doesn't account for the fact that Sills caught two passes for 38 yards on the final drive, including a game-saving reception on fourth down.
It's a low bar, but Sills has at least become playable while the team has nothing to play for. His 6-foot-3, 211-pound frame makes him a solid red zone threat, but he more than likely wouldn't be playing this much on any other team. And he's provided solid production playing the "London" role in his stead.
In an offense that is headlined by elite-level weapons, Sills has provided something that's just as important: stability. The receiver room is still very much in flux, but the career journeyman might have finally found a home wearing red and black all because of Cousins.