Kirk Cousins once was believed to be the player who could deliver the Falcons to the playoffs. And when we say “once,” we mean about three weeks ago.
And while Cousins has lost his standing as the starting quarterback and almost certainly faces a finite number of days in a Falcons uniform, he could still be influential. As rookie Michael Penix Jr. has been placed in what might be an unprecedented situation for a first-year player — making his first career start after the demotion of the heretofore franchise quarterback with the team in playoff contention — he could use some shepherding.
However much he might prefer to sit back, Cousins can fulfill that role in a way that no one else in the organization can do. As a 13-year veteran who has made 159 career starts, gone to four Pro Bowls and has clearly made an impression on Penix, Cousins has a unique voice that the rookie can benefit from.
“He can talk to him pre-drive and/or in the locker room before they go out,” former Falcons quarterback and team radio analyst Dave Archer told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “Some of the things that he can do during the week — what he recognizes tape-wise. I think there’s some value there.”
Ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the New York Giants at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Cousins can share insights into the Giants personnel or break down potential matchups for a player who has no firsthand knowledge of these matters.
“Standing on the sidelines in-game, he might see certain things that are going on that they’re trying to do,” Archer said. “Maybe they’re trying to take Drake (London) away a certain way or trying to take Kyle (Pitts) away a certain way and he’s saying, ‘OK, be aware of (the Giants) rolling the weakside safety down.’ And maybe something that Michael’s seeing anyway, but just reiterating it to help him there.”
And beyond that, Cousins could even help offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, whose own hands are full, with play-calling.
“Because he’s going to be sitting there listening to the play calls,” Archer said. “He might be able to say, ‘Hey, I’m seeing this. When they come with pressure, they’re playing a lot of zone behind it and they’re giving away this area’ or something like that. An extra set of eyes can always help in that situation. So I think Kirk can contribute in a lot of different ways.”
It must be highly awkward for the 36-year-old Cousins, who signed with the Falcons envisioning multiple seasons as the starter and raising the team to the NFL’s elite. He undoubtedly understands why he had the starting job taken from him, but there’s probably at least part of him who thinks he should still be the starter. Certainly, all of him wants to be the starter. He bristled a little bit when he was asked Wednesday if he hoped to be a starter in the NFL in the future.
“I didn’t forget how to play quarterback,” Cousins said. “Certainly, the turnovers were not what you want. But I didn’t forget how to play.”
Cousins has said and done a lot of the right things. When coach Raheem Morris informed him Tuesday night that he was no longer the starter, he said Cousins told him that he was going to be the best No. 2 quarterback in the league. And after that meeting with Morris, Cousins called Penix to tell him that he would be in his corner and would try to help him in any way he could.
“You roll with it and now you still get ready,” Cousins said. “One play away (from having to play) kind of a thing and support Mike and just try to help our team be able to find a way to win these last three and get in the playoffs. That’s what it’s all about, and that’s my focus.”
Cousins already has helped Penix by giving him a close-up look at the work habits that have enabled him to throw for more career passing yards than all but 20 quarterbacks in league history. It seems clear that Cousins has made an impression.
At his news conference Wednesday, Penix raved about Cousins’ leadership and his command of the offense.
“To be honest, Kirk can do no wrong to my eyes,” said Penix, appearing to genuinely mean it.
He marveled at how Cousins can read a defense so efficiently that he can throw a pass to the fifth read on a play.
“The fifth read!” Penix said. “You don’t see that a lot.”
The responsibility of helping Penix does fall more on Robinson and quarterback coach T.J. Yates and assistant D.J. Williams than it does on Cousins. But how much Cousins leans into this role could make a difference.
“I do think (Penix is) more nervous than he lets on, and you have to be,” Archer said. “Here’s your first NFL opportunity.”
That could be where Cousins can be of particular assistance. Archer recalled a similar moment from his own time in the league. When Archer played for the then-San Diego Chargers in 1989, he shared the quarterback meeting room with Super Bowl champion Jim McMahon and then-rookie Billy Joe Tolliver. At one point in the season, with McMahon banged up, the decision was made to give Tolliver his first career start.
In the locker room before the game, as Archer recalled, an anxious Tolliver was hoping that McMahon would help boost his confidence. Playing go-between, Archer advised McMahon that he should go talk with the rookie. At last, the moment arrived between the blunt McMahon and the red-haired rookie. It seemed a sports-movie moment come to life.
“He said, ‘Red, don’t get hurt because I can’t play today,’” Archer said with a laugh. “Those were his words of wisdom for him, and Billy, you can just see his shoulders drop.”
(The postscript: Tolliver was lousy and was pulled from the game. He later played for the Falcons.)
On Sunday, Penix may not be so hungry for the assurance of the veteran who can do no wrong. But it probably would help.
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