There have been lots of rumblings that the Atlanta Falcons were going to bench Kirk Cousins in favor of Michael Penis, Jr. since the Falcons had lost four games in a row entering last night’s game against the less-than-formidable Raiders. Not so; Kirk Cousins started the game and finished the game, and the Falcons won a slog of a game by the score of 15-9. No, this was not a titanic defensive struggle; this game was a demonstration of offensive ineptitude.
However, the Falcons won the game and advanced their record to 7-7-0 positioning them one game behind the Tampa Bay Bucs in the NFC South race and two games behind the Commanders for the final playoff slot in the NFC. That positioning vis-à-vis the Commanders is important because the Falcons and Commanders will meet in Week 17 of this season. That game could have significant playoff consequences – – if the Falcons now go on a winning streak.
So, the Falcons’ coaches are highly motivated to put the best squad on the field in order to try to “win out”. The fact that they went with Cousins last night and stuck with him despite the anemic offensive showing tells me that the Falcons’ coaching staff believes that Cousins is the better QB in December 2024. Those coaches see both guys every day in practice; those guys get paid in part for their ability to spot talent and then exploit it. Those guys also know very clearly that their jobs and their reputations depend on the outcomes of their decisions in terms of wins and losses and playoff appearances. The Falcons’ coaches saw Cousins perform in a significant performance trough for four weeks – – and they still went with him and not Penix.
After the game, Falcons head coach, Raheem Morris was asked what he thought of Cousins’ performance. His answer was vintage coach-speak; he left each and every path forward open:
“He’s got to play better, and, you know, obviously, you’ve got to go back, you’ve got to be able to look at everything. But, you know, he wants to play better. He’s got to play better. We’ve got to find a way to get him to play better. And, obviously, we’ll get to work tomorrow, and that’s part of our process, right? You go and look at the tape, you review with the people it needs to be reviewed with, you know, we get all the coordinators in the room, we’ll talk with everybody, and we’ve got to play better at the quarterback position.”
If I were a sadistic high school English teacher, I would make you parse that paragraph, but we are not into sadism here in Curmudgeon Central. So, let me just leave the QB situation in Atlanta with this assessment:
- Cousins was the choice last night and the Falcons won. Having said that, the commentary from the head coach after the game allows for – – and even invites – – more rumblings and rumors about the QB position going forward.
- By the way, the Falcons game next week is against an opponent even more woebegone than the Raiders – – the NY Giants who are 2-12-0 for the year and who have lost 9 games in a row.
Moving on – – and staying on the subject of which QB should start for a team – – let me say something that will sound outrageous at first until you read why I said it:
- I hope that Patrick Mahomes will be unable to play QB for the Chiefs next week against the Texans.
I am not rooting against the Chiefs or for the Texans with that statement. I am not hating on Patrick Mahomes. Here is why I think that would be an interesting happenstance:
- The Chiefs’ backup QB is Carson Wentz. His career started off on a rocket-like trajectory and has since crumbled not quite to dust but certainly to cinders.
- With most of a season under Andy Reid’s system in KC and now with a week’s worth of practice with the first-string players, I would want to see Wentz perform in something other than “mop-up duty”.
- Can Andy Reid and his “KC-Offense” squeeze competency out of Carson Wentz in 2024?
- The Chiefs are already guaranteed to be in the playoffs so this “side quest” for the team would be interesting to observe.
Switching gears … The Chiefs are in the AFC playoffs this year but at the other end of the AFC spectrum, you can see the New England Patriots with a 3-11-0 record. That is pretty miserable; and if you are a Pats’ fan, you might not be thrilled to see the remaining schedule for your heroes:
- 12/22/24: At the Bills
- 12/29/24: Vs. the Chargers
- 1/5/25: Vs. the Bills again
Maybe in that final game of the season, the Bills will be starting Mitchell Trubisky at QB to give Josh Allen a rest? That is the only bright spot I see …
Finally, here is a definition from The Official Dictionary of Sarcasm:
“Juice: Something children won’t drink unless it comes in a square box with its own straw; something adults won’t drink unless it costs as much as their mocha latte and has been repackaged by corporate spin to include pomegranate, spirulina, and antioxidants. Like anybody knows what antioxidants are anyway.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………