5 Atlanta Falcons facing the most heat after week one collapse

1. Kirk Cousins

What is Atlanta's best explanation for what happened with Kirk Cousins against Pittsburgh? It looked as if the quarterback was far from healthy and had no trust in his legs or offensive line. A lack of trust in protection was founded with the quarterback getting consistently crushed by the Pittsburgh defensive line.

However, the biggest red flag was the amount of time Atlanta's offense spent in pistol. Kirk Cousins didn't appear able to run play fakes or get under center and have a chance to run the offense. This was as poorly as this debut could have gone barring another injury.

It is hard to see things flipping next week unless it is a mental block and Cousins is healthier than it appears. No matter the explanation there is no way to spin this in Atlanta's favor. The veteran was a complete mess and looked every bit as bad as last year's starter Desmond Ridder.

While it is still very early in the season can Atlanta survive until Cousins is back to himself? With the Eagles and Chiefs both up next it is hard to see this team doing anything but starting 0-3. This forces the team to finish 10-4 to have a chance.