Falcons coach Raheem Morris has fielded questions about benching Kirk Cousins for weeks. Each time, Morris confirmed that Cousins was the starter before acknowledging that he must play better. This time, Morris didn’t say Cousins will start ahead of Michael Penix Jr. on Sunday against the Giants.
“I think we’ve got to go through the (evaluation) process,” Morris said soon after the team arrived back from Las Vegas on Tuesday, following Monday night’s victory over the Raiders.
“(Media members) are catching me at a different moment in time than we’ve normally (talked). We’ve (usually) had more time to think about all the things that have happened. We’re at the process right now where we’re still looking into those things.”
There’s a lot for Morris and his staff to talk about as they get ready for Sunday’s home game against the Giants (2-11).
The Falcons (7-7) snapped a four-game losing streak with the 15-9 victory at Vegas, but Cousins was the weak link again. The running backs, defense and special teams kept giving Cousins optimal chances that he couldn’t convert. That’s five consecutive subpar performances for the quarterback who signed for $100 million guaranteed.
Asked if there was still a feeling in the team’s building that Cousins gives the Falcons the best chance to win, Morris called it a “loaded question” before listing some of the reasons it’s being asked.
“Last night, we played pretty well across the board,” Morris said. “We had the hot hand in the running game. We didn’t play particularly well at the quarterback position. We didn’t play well yesterday at that spot, and I want to be open and honest and clear about those things.
“It’s always going to be those question marks when it comes to the head coach, when it comes to the quarterback. And you’ve got to be really transparent about it. We’ve got to play better. That’s the thing that’s got to be put out there. We’ve got to play better.”
The Falcons drafted Penix No. 8 overall this year to be the eventual successor to Cousins. That vision didn’t include Penix playing this season. If all went well, Penix would start two years from now.
But all is not well with Cousins. He’s struggling and, unlike his poor play early in the season, the issues appear to be more mental than physical. Morris said the Falcons have “kind of limited some things” for Cousins in game plans, with mixed results.
So, why not go with Penix as the Plan B now? Said Morris:
“You have to win. We’re going to do whatever is best for us to win as many games as we can win this season. That’s just our job. I know you are pretty anxious. I know a bunch of people are. But it’s up to me to remain steadfast and make the best decision to find out how do we win our next football game.”
Morris said he wouldn’t consider only the past five games while evaluating Cousins. He said that he and his staff would look at every game, every play and every practice.
“I think you have to do that,” he said. “It’s only fair to everybody around here.”
As Morris ponders a change at quarterback, Cousins’ performance isn’t the only consideration. Morris also must gauge how the switching quarterbacks would go over with the team’s players. Morris must have a realistic assessment of what Penix can do in his first real NFL game action with the Falcons chasing a playoff spot.
The Falcons also must think about their long-term investment in Cousins. He’s guaranteed $27.5 million in base salary next year. The Falcons would ruin their salary-cap sheet by parting with Cousins after this season. He’s likely to return next season. Benching Cousins now might wreck his confidence, and the Falcons are still on the hook for the money one way or the other.
Morris acknowledged that Cousins has lost confidence.
“Kirk is very honest and he’s very true to how he’s playing,” Morris said. “I hope you guys can appreciate how honest I am about what we got going on, and just let you know, we’re not playing well. I’m not trying to sugarcoat this thing for (Cousins), and he’s not trying to sugarcoat it for himself.
“But the fact that we can have those open and honest conversation with each other and (media) I hold in high regard. You’re right, when you go through the stretch that we’re going through right now, you’re not going to have that same confidence and same swag as you had in the first two months. There are ways to get it back.”
Getting benched isn’t one of those ways. Morris has rejected that possibility before. He didn’t do it in the aftermath of the latest poor performance by Cousins.
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