The Atlanta Falcons had a less-than-ideal start to their regular season as they fell 18-10 to the Pittsburgh Steelers at home in Week One.
Prized free agent quarterback Kirk Cousins did not play his best in his Falcons debut as he went 16 of 26 passing for 155 yards with a touchdown and multiple interceptions.
Fox Sports analyst Jason Smith was not positive about Cousins’ performance.
“Kirk Cousins looked awful on Sunday…He doesn’t have a lot of time to get things going because you can imagine the calls are gonna grow because Michael Penix Jr. looked good in the preseason,” Smith recently said on Fox Sports Radio.
?️@howaboutafresca: “Kirk Cousins looked awful on Sunday…He doesn’t have a lot of time to get things going because you can imagine the calls are gonna grow because Michael Penix Jr. looked good in the preseason.” pic.twitter.com/7BMOJm4gKH
— FOX Sports Radio (@FoxSportsRadio) September 11, 2024
To be fair, it was Cousins’ first start with his new team after tearing his Achilles.
However, he has plenty of weapons available in the form of Pro Bowl tight end Kyle Pitts, former first-round wide receiver Drake London, former 1,000-yard wide receiver Darnell Mooney, and 1,400-yard scrimmage back Bijan Robinson.
The performance should have been a lot better and with the team using a first-round pick on rookie Michael Penix Jr., the pressure is seemingly only going to get bigger if Cousins does not perform like a four-time Pro Bowl signal-caller.
But again, it was only Week One against a great Steelers defense and sometimes, it takes time to find a rhythm with new teammates.
Unfortunately for Cousins and the Falcons, they now have to go face the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football on the road.
Time will tell to see if this team can improve over the next few weeks.
NEXT: Former Player Rips Kirk Cousins After Week 1 Performance
