While Kirk Cousins has certainly elevated the Falcons into a playoff contender, the past few games have been brutal for the $180 million quarterback. And on Sunday, we saw what might have been Cousins’ worst throw of the season.
Heading into the fourth quarter of Atlanta’s Week 13 game against the Chargers, Cousins was in the middle of a touchdown drought that went back to the Falcons’ Nov. 3 win against the Cowboys. And it as clear that Cousins was forcing passes in hopes of breaking that drought.
Having already thrown a pair of interceptions (including a pick six), Cousins lobbed a third-and-goal pass to Darnell Mooney with three defenders in the area. Marcus Maye easily came down with the interception, but really, it was unclear what Cousins was even thinking with that pass.
Another @Chargers INT!
: #LACvsATL on CBS/Paramount+
: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/T9rpS1x8jf— NFL (@NFL) December 1, 2024
Mooney wasn’t open. Coverage was blanketing that area of the end zone. And it made zero sense to put absolutely nothing on the pass.
Interceptions don’t get much more puzzling than that.
