Falcons HC Raheem Morris and QB Kirk Cousins deserve an apology from fans

It is no secret that the Atlanta Falcons started their season off by faceplanting. They looked awful against the Steelers and on top of that, it seemed like Kirk Cousins and Raheem Morris were lying to the media about Cousins' health.

I, for one, spent much of the week criticizing them because of what I saw on the field. I thought there was no way that Cousins would improve significantly over the next few weeks and by the time he would be, it would be too late. It was a frustrating week for all of us, that is for sure.

However, Morris and Cousins were telling the truth—the quarterback looks healthy enough to play at a high level. Cousins showed why the Falcons made him $180 million and he deserves all the credit in the world.

Those inside the Falcons organization were right all along

I can't be the only one who had the thought Oh great, Kirk Cousins will go down as one of the worst signings in NFL history creep into my head. While it was a brash thought, it was unavoidable after the disastrous start in Week 1.

The facts were the facts, Cousins did not look nearly healthy enough to play in the opening game. Zac Robinson avoided putting him under center, didn't run play-action fakes, and refused to put him in positions where he would have to move. Not to mention, watching him throw the ball wasn't pretty.

Nevertheless, here we sit at 1-1 on the season having just won a crucial game. Cousins better and better as the game progressed leading up to his nearly-perfect game-winning drive. I can't believe I am saying this, Kirk Cousins looks healthy enough to be a difference-maker moving forward.

There are still things that need to be ironed out. He had some lazy footwork and occasional issues where he was precise in his ball placement. You can live with that, for now. The good far outweighed the bad.

Particularly encouraging was his throw to Darnell Mooney that went for a 41-yard touchdown. He stood in against the blitz, knew where to go with the ball, and threw an in-stride dime to Mooney with hands in his face.

So after a week where I was openly critical of Raheem Morris and Kirk Cousins, I would like to apologize. They were telling the truth in front of the microphone all week and never let the media move them off their position.

With all that being said, no one can deny how strange it was to see the difference in scheme and Cousins' play from one week to the next. I have never seen such a drastic change in eight days.