Posted on Sep 09
Falcons coach Raheem Morris attributes Kirk Cousins' struggles to rust, not the offensive system
u/alex •
Kirk Cousins struggles in disappointing debut for the Falcons.
Why it matters: Cousins, who signed a lucrative contract with the Falcons in the offseason, had a subpar performance in his first game with the team, raising questions about his ability to lead the offense.
What's new: Cousins finished the game with just 155 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. His second-half performance was particularly concerning, as he managed only 19 passing yards, the lowest total of his career.
Yes, but: Coach Raheem Morris dismissed injury concerns, stating that Cousins has been healthy since joining the team. Instead, he attributed the quarterback's struggles to rust from not playing for an extended period.
What to watch: The Falcons' offensive system under new coordinator Zac Robinson came under scrutiny, with the team primarily using pistol and shotgun formations. There were speculations about whether this impacted Cousins' performance.
The bottom line: While the Falcons' defense played well, holding the Steelers to just 18 points, their offensive shortcomings led to a disappointing loss. The team will need better performances from Cousins and improvement in the offensive phase to achieve success moving forward.
- Raheem Morris on Kirk Cousins' health: "I feel like Kirk is healthy. He's been healthy since he's been here."
- Raheem Morris on the offensive system's impact: "The offensive system had nothing to do with Cousins' health... [His issues were] likely due to some rust from not playing for so long."
- Raheem Morris on the team's performance: "We played, I thought, winning football in two phases of the game, and we didn't play winning football in our offensive phase of the game."