The Falcons snapped their four-game losing streak by defeating the Raiders 15-9 on Monday night, but quarterback Kirk Cousins continued to struggle. Atlanta scored just one touchdown in the victory, and the veteran quarterback’s lack of production was on full display.
Entering Week 15, there were questions about whether the Falcons would stick with Cousins as the starter, and those questions will only continue after Cousins’ performance on Monday night. Head coach Raheem Morris appears to be getting more frustrated by the passing game’s lack of production.
The Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr. in the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft with the plan to sit him this year, but if Cousins can’t turn it around, Atlanta may need to turn to the rookie earlier than expected.
Here is where Cousins’ starting status stands after another unimpressive showing vs. 2-12 Las Vegas.
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Kirk Cousins stats vs. Raiders
- 17 pass attempts
- 11 completions
- 112 yards
- 1 touchdown
- 1 interception
- 3 rush attempts
- 0 rushing yards
While the Falcons won and Cousins tossed his first touchdown in over a month, the veteran quarterback still didn’t impress against the Raiders. Cousins threw for a season-low 112 passing yards and totaled a season-low 11 completions on 17 attempts.
KIRK COUSINS TO DRAKE LONDON FOR A 30-YARD TOUCHDOWN ?
It’s Cousins’ first passing TD since Week 9 ? pic.twitter.com/9BXRU4RpLV
— ESPN (@espn) December 17, 2024
This was also the 10th game this year where Cousins also threw an interception, and it was his fifth-straight game with a pick.
RAIDERS PICK OFF KIRK COUSINS ON THE FIRST PLAY OF THE SECOND HALF ?
That’s Cousins’ ninth INT in the last five games ?
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/txkxYDJp5j
— ESPN (@espn) December 17, 2024
In his past five games, Cousins has thrown one touchdown and nine interceptions, and Atlanta is 1-4 as a team in that span.
Will the Falcons bench Kirk Cousins?
After the game, head coach Raheem Morris continued to stand by Cousins as the starter, although he made it clear that the veteran quarterback is not playing up to the standard that the team expects.
“He’s got to play better,” Morris told the media, via The Athletic’s Josh Kendall. “We have to find a way to get him to play better. We have to play better at the quarterback position.”
Cousins also acknowledged that he needs to play better in order for the team to be successful.
“It’s not where I want to be,” Cousins told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge after the game. “There’s a lot of room for improvement.”
Cousins later added that his coach was “stating the obvious” when he said the veteran QB needed to play better.
Kirk Cousins says he knows he has to play better, when asked if he’s feeling the pressure, especially after Raheem Morris said tonight, “we have to play better at the quarterback position.” pic.twitter.com/CxhCX66sFw
— Kelly Price (@thekellyprice) December 17, 2024
With Cousins continuing to struggle, the calls for Atlanta to replace him with rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will only grow louder. The Falcons are just one game back of the Buccaneers in the NFC South race, and Atlanta holds the tiebreaker over Tampa Bay, so they are very much still in the mix.
Falcons remaining schedule
| Date | Opponent | Time |
| Dec. 22 | vs. New York Giants | 1:00 p.m. ET |
| Dec. 29 | @ Washington Commanders | TBD |
| Jan. 5 | vs. Carolina Panthers | TBD |
