FLOWERY BRANCH – Here’s some of what Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins had to say to the Atlanta media on Wednesday:
Opening statement: “Good to get back on the grass today and practice. We got to build on what we’ve done Monday night and now we kind of turned the page and that’s what it’s all about in this league is being able to stack games and stack performances and be able to gain momentum from Monday, but also understand that we got to move forward and we (have) to build on that. Now, the focus turns to the next opponent and next opportunity. That’s what (Wednesday) was about, getting out there, practice, (be) sharp and we’ll keep stacking days.”
On keys from progressing from Week 1 to Week 2: “I think that it’s something that is inherent to the more you’re together. You’re going to improve. You’re going to get better. I felt like that happened. … We learned a lot about ourselves in Week 1. We were able to take that and apply it to Week 2. But we’ll be doing the same from Week 2 to Week 3 and Week 3 to Week 4. I think as this year goes, we’re going to just keep building a rapport, coaches-to-players, players-to-players, and coaches-to-coaches. I completed a pass to (wide receiver) Drake London that was not a good throw. I think it was early in the game. It was a low ball, should have been a better throw. He could have run through it and had a bigger gain. He went down and got it. Made a great catch. I went up to him right after the play and I said, ‘terrible throw. Drake what a great catch, good job bailing me out.’ His answer back was, ‘Kirk, we’re just building this, that’s going to happen and we’re building this and we’re just getting started.’ I thought that was a good perspective to have and obviously, great attitude, positive attitude. I’ve had some receivers who would mean mug me a little bit and yell at me to get the ball up so they could’ve run another 30 yards. So, being a great teammate but also taking that perspective of Week 1 to 2, we’re getting better. Week 2 to 3, we’ll get better. We’ll just keep building it. I think that’s the right perspective to have.”
On thoughts of Taylor Swift potentially being at the game Sunday night: “I don’t know what she’s going to do. I know she owns a couple private jets and that is very convenient for getting to things, I’ve learned. So, if she wants to be here, I’m sure she has the logistical means to make that happen.”
On Drake London having the ability to block like a tight end: “Yeah, he takes pride in the run game. I think it says a lot about him as a team player. I think he acknowledges what he can do to contribute. Run game coordinator/offensive line coach Dwayne Ledford gave him the award this week, a belt. Yeah, I think if you have a wrestling background, you have an appreciation for that as coach Ledford does. I’m not quite as big of a belt guy. I’m not going to tell Coach Ledford that, but he told me I have a chance to win it. If my bootleg fakes are good enough, that maybe someday I’ll have a chance to win the belt. I think he was just kind of gassing me up, more posturing than reality, but Drake is doing a phenomenal job in the run game. Not many receivers take the level of pride in it that he does. It will make a difference for our football team and will help us win games.”
On feeling 100 percent in the pocket and not out the pocket per Troy Aikman’s MNF comments: “Yeah, I was more referring to the fact that the rust and the red jersey factor. I think that what happened a little bit was coach Raheem Morris was doing such a good job of (having players stay) away from the quarterback (because we had) a red jersey all camp. ... We got this kind of false sense of, ‘I’ve got all this space, this is nice.’ I think in the game, you’re not getting that. The telephone booth shrunk. I think there was a little bit of a point where I’ve got to get to where the rust is off and I’m more comfortable being used to that environment, since it has been since Week 8 to last year. That’s probably more what I was referring to, but I do feel really good from the physical standpoint.”
On the offensive line’s protection through the Week 2 win over the Eagles: “It wasn’t just a two minute drive. I felt all game. The fourth and three, we went for it. I was able to kind of click through the progression and still had a very clean pocket as I threw to (wide receiver) Ray-Ray McCloud. I found myself getting through progressions a couple of times, to the fourth, maybe even the fifth option. When you see (running back) Bijan Robinson getting the ball or (running back) Tyler Allgeier getting the ball in the pass game, it’s likely because protection was really sound and that gave me the chance to click through. So, it makes a meaningful difference…We need that performance all year from them and they’re planning to deliver week in and week out.”
On Bijan Robinson pass blocking: “I’ve always said it’s a tough job. They’re there to run the football is really why you bring them in. But then to get here and tell them they have to run routes, you got to pass protect and you’ve got to have great eyes. There’s a lot more that goes into it. It’s a tough job. The guy is coming right down your midline and he’s trying to drive you right back into the quarterback. As we say, kind of stick your face on the guy, tight elbows, tight thumbs and really anchor is difficult. But many times (that) happens in crunch time, it’s third down (or) it’s critical place … running backs coach Mike Pitre coaches him well to be able to step up in those moments.”
On momentum coming off the Monday night win against the Eagles: “Momentum’s a big part of football. I think it’s a balance. I think I’ve seen people who have a game like Monday night and they start to think they’re better than they are and they lose their edge and you don’t build on it. Then I’ve seen people who kind of use a positive outcome and a resolve that we had and say (that) we can build on that and create some momentum. So, you can go both ways. We’re going to find out as we go. I’d like to think that our group’s going to build on the resolve that we had. View the next opportunity as a chance to kind of keep stacking. But we’ve got to go prove that.”
On whether there is anything he does as a leader to make sure the team keeps momentum: “Yeah, I think there is a little bit of, whether directly or indirectly, make it very clear that this is not a hobby and that I’m very serious about this. So, you do try and communicate that. I think the guys understand that already without saying it. But yeah, it’s funny you bring that up with Raheem (Morris) because I said to him at the two-point conversion that he went for, I kind of came off the field miffed. I thought maybe he thought that I was mad he wanted to go for two. I said, ‘Hey coach, I wasn’t mad at you. I was just mad at the play that we didn’t get the two points.’ He said, ‘Oh no, I know.’ He goes, ‘I was just trying to keep you positive, Kirk, because I know you’re hard on yourself.’ So, he was like, it’s funny how a head coach has to be like a psychologist and kind of treat everyone fairly, but not the same. So, with me, he’s like, I don’t have to get on Kirk. He’s going to get on himself. So, it’s funny when you hear how he’s got to be so aware of everybody.”
On balancing being hard on himself but not too hard: “Welcome to my life. Welcome to my life for the last like 20 years, right? So, you have high standards. It’s why you probably get to where you are, but you also have to understand that if you’re not sleeping at night, that’s not a good thing. So, let’s find a balance here. That’s where my wife comes in to say, ‘Hey, you’ve got to let it go or whatever.’ So, chase perfection, but you’re never going to get perfection. You kind of have to find that balance. I’m getting better. My wife would tell you I’m getting better, but it is what it is.”
On whether he goes back and watches the game immediately: “Yeah, I was watching it on the plane, certainly. All cracking jokes with Jake Matthews, Drew Dalman and Kaden Elliss, who were sitting around me. We’re kind of a combination. But yeah, I was watching and had my notes and thoughts. Football is such a situational deal. So, it was third down, it was red zone. It wasn’t every play. There are reasons maybe in third down or red zone that certain plays didn’t turn out as well as I’d hoped, but those are some of the plays I wanted to be better at.”
On Arthur Blank being inducted into the Ring of Honor: “When I was coming to Atlanta, I read his book, which I really enjoyed. I feel like it enabled me to get to know him a little bit, where he’s come from, faster than I otherwise would have been able to. One of the many things I appreciated is he understands the importance of leading from the group. He comes into the locker room every game before we go out in the field, not because he has to make his presence (known). He just wants to know that the leader of the team is with the guys, is standing with them. That’s why he comes down to the sideline late in games is because he wants to make it clear that I’m standing with you guys. So, I think that’s the right perspective to have. I think he gets it. My challenge to him was, I said, ‘Mr. Blank, I want you to come down in a Falcons dry fit (shirt) and stand with us by the water cooler, like really with us, like a TV time out, like come out and hit us on the shoulder pads.’ I said, ‘We would fight for you if you do that.’ So he said, ‘Well, I had a shoulder surgery a few years ago. I don’t know.’ So, before I’m done, I’m going to try to get him down there out of the suit and into a dry fit and hitting shoulder pads. We’ll see if we can do it. But we’ve got to win a few more games to get him there.”
On next steps for the offense: “I think we’ve all got a different part to play in it. When I look at myself, I think in certain plays be quicker with my reads. I can be more accurate in certain plays. I think I can have just a little bit better base to be able to make some of the throws I need to make. But I think we all have different parts we’ve got to play. I think the communication is important, that I’m telling (them) what I got to do better. That I’m telling (them) what I think our offense can do better. I’m telling (them) what we did well. ... So, the constant communication from player-to-coach, coach-to- player and teammate-to-teammate is really important.”
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