RandBall: In Atlanta, Falcons fans got a sour taste of Kirk Cousins at his worst

[medaille]

They ran him out of shotgun/pistol which isn't his game and he appeared to favor the repaired foot which messed up his mechanics.  They also faced Mike Tomlin who has to be the acknowledged zen master of winning ugly... UGLY.

But I'm confident that he can be the quintessential Kirk and lead them to an 8-9 season.  They didn't pay him that huge bag for nothing!

I didn't watch their game, but maybe they're running shotgun and pistol to minimize how much he needs to move on his ankle.

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out over the season.

[bigbone62]

He also doesn't do well with someone breathing down his neck (Penix). Going to be interesting in Atlanta from this point forward.

At what point in his college or pro career has he struggled with someone breathing down his neck? Who were these players breathing down his neck? At both MSU and Washington he took the job from the incumbent or presumed starter. Twice in one season at MSU. 

At MSU in 2008 Nick Foles was the assumed starter however the coach decided their should be a competition. Foles ended up transferring when 4 star recruit Keith Nichol transfered in from Oklahoma. Foles didn't want to compete. KC didn't bail because of some competition and won the job. In Washington he beat out RG III. Once he was named an NFL starter there was never a backup that remotely approached competition. So I don't get the weird competition from second string QB's wreak Cousins narrative.

[StickierBuns]

At what point in his college or pro career has he struggled with someone breathing down his neck? Who were these players breathing down his neck? At both MSU and Washington he took the job from the incumbent or presumed starter. Twice in one season at MSU. 

At MSU in 2008 Nick Foles was the assumed starter however the coach decided their should be a competition. Foles ended up transferring when 4 star recruit Keith Nichol transfered in from Oklahoma. Foles didn't want to compete. KC didn't bail because of some competition and won the job. In Washington he beat out RG III. Once he was named an NFL starter there was never a backup that remotely approached competition. So I don't get the weird competition from second string QB's wreak Cousins narrative.

CBS Sports: What We Learned

Atlanta Falcons
Kirk Cousins is not a cure-all. In fact, he may have held Atlanta back more than helped against the Pittsburgh Steelers' tough pass rush. Chalk some of it up to rust. But it's a situation worth monitoring.

[bigbone62]

CBS Sports: What We Learned

Atlanta Falcons
Kirk Cousins is not a cure-all. In fact, he may have held Atlanta back more than helped against the Pittsburgh Steelers' tough pass rush. Chalk some of it up to rust. But it's a situation worth monitoring.

I'm not sure in what capacity this answers or in any way relates to the question I asked.

[pattersaur]

Why does 1 game define Kirk’s career in Atlanta? QB’s have had bad games before. Kirk has had bad games before and done well the rest of the season. Hell, a lot of QB’s have bad games against Pittsburgh, and usually in the beginning of the season, the defenses are ahead of the offenses. I’m not sorry the Vikings moved on from him, but it seems premature to say he’s bad or that Sam Darnold has mastered the KOC offense.
Were the Falcons projected to do anything this season? They’ve seemed a mess for a little bit, not Panthers kind of mess, but not like they were a team in need of one missing piece.

I wish him well, I enjoyed his time in Minnesota. Age and injury, along with asking price dictated his moving on.

In that division, yes. Most predict(ed) they'll win it. They're still the betting favorite to win the div, even after Sunday.

Kirk will play better but how well is a big question still for me. There's many reasons to think it's going to take some time for the old Kirk to shine through. Will the Falcons give him that much time? TBD

[wiviking]

At what point in his college or pro career has he struggled with someone breathing down his neck? Who were these players breathing down his neck? At both MSU and Washington he took the job from the incumbent or presumed starter. Twice in one season at MSU. 

At MSU in 2008 Nick Foles was the assumed starter however the coach decided their should be a competition. Foles ended up transferring when 4 star recruit Keith Nichol transfered in from Oklahoma. Foles didn't want to compete. KC didn't bail because of some competition and won the job. In Washington he beat out RG III. Once he was named an NFL starter there was never a backup that remotely approached competition. So I don't get the weird competition from second string QB's wreak Cousins narrative.

It was a narrative that started on the board a few years ago, and then took on a life of its own. There was no basis for it. I cannot remember who, but they were saying it like, Kirk doesn't want so and so as a backup, because he doesn't like competition.  The people that disliked KC kept parroting it until it became a pseudo-fact. Now it is just a part of who KC is in the eyes of a lot of fans.

[StickierBuns]

It was a narrative that started on the board a few years ago, and then took on a life of its own. There was no basis for it. I cannot remember who, but they were saying it like, Kirk doesn't want so and so as a backup, because he doesn't like competition.  The people that disliked KC kept parroting it until it became a pseudo-fact. Now it is just a part of who KC is in the eyes of a lot of fans.

Well 2 organizations let him walk (Redskins and Vikings)...and this was after putting up decent to very good stats. There are narratives out there on Cousins that are true and false, but if Atlanta can't win the NFC South (a weak division) why would some of those old narratives change? Cousins has 1 playoff win in his career...take that as you will.

I've been much more of a Kirko defender during his time in Minnesota than anything else. But it was time for him to move on.

[bigbone62]

Well 2 organizations let him walk (Redskins and Vikings)...and this was after putting up decent to very good stats. There are narratives out there on Cousins that are true and false, but if Atlanta can't win the NFC South (a weak division) why would some of those old narratives change? Cousins has 1 playoff win in his career...take that as you will.

I've been much more of a Kirko defender during his time in Minnesota than anything else. But it was time for him to move on.

Again, this doesn't address the actual topic at hand. What are these examples of KC struggling when he has someone "breathing down his neck" for competition?

[StickierBuns]

Again, this doesn't address the actual topic at hand. What are these examples of KC struggling when he has someone "breathing down his neck" for competition?

That was the rumor. Do I know it for a fact? No.

[bigbone62]

That was the rumor. Do I know it for a fact? No.

I guess when I hear a guy doesn't do well with someone breathing down their neck I take that to mean they fold under the pressure and don't perform well. Cousins threw for 4k plus, 33 tds to 7 INTs the year Mond was drafted. Beyond that, and I kid you not, the person largely responsible for that rumor just so happens to be a guy whose job KC stole. 

https://www.nfl.com/news/rgiii-kirk-cous...ond%20pick&text=When%20the%20Minnesota%20Vikings%2C%20amid,was%20running%20out%20in%20Minnesota.