The Atlanta Falcons seem to be making a key change for Kirk Cousins in week 2. Cousins looked a bit underwhelming in his first start with the team, to say the least with people even going as far as to say he has not fully healed from his Achilles injury.
While the team had him in certain formations throughout most of his week 1 game, it appears that this week will be very different for the offense as a whole.
Atlanta Falcons Making Mjaor Formation Change For Kirk Cousins
Cousins suffered his Achilles tear on Oct. 29 of last season, and the belief going into the season was that he would be 100%. However, in the week 1 matchup the way he played and the formations the team ran raised concerns about his overall health and healing.
The Falcons coaching staff called plays that seemed to be protecting Cousins a bit extra. They used formations most of the game that would hint at the quarterback not being at full strength. Per ESPN, the Falcons lined up in a pistol shotgun formation on 96% of their plays on offense in week 1.
96%! That is a radical amount of the offensive snaps to have Cousins lined way back in the shotgun. Clearly, it was part of the game plan to not let cousins get hit too much. But to make matters even worse, they ran the ball on 81% of the time when Cousins lined up in the pistol formation.
The team clearly had a game plan that would protect Cousins from getting hit whatsoever in the week 1 matchup. However, the team is preparing to make major changes to the game plan this week.
Kirk Cousins Will Have ‘Full Offense’ Available in Week 2
The team has had Cousins lined up under center during their practices this week, in an attempt to spice the offense up a bit. While the team does not seem like they will send Cousins into the line of fire, we may see a bit more of the offense in week 2.
One of the Falcons reporters Maria Martin shared a video showing that Cousins was taking reps under center. This probably won’t make fans feel any better about their concerns for Cousins, and there are already some fans calling for Michael Penix Jr. to get some reps.
Under center reps for Kirk Cousins in practice today. pic.twitter.com/5XIMnDBfBy
— Maria Martin (@Ria_Martin) September 12, 2024
Head coach Raheem Morris was candid about Cousins’s performance in week 1, and he knows that his quarterback needs to be better:
“The assessment is easy for him. It wasn’t good enough,” Morris said. “We threw two interceptions. We have to make better decisions in the passing game all the way around. We can’t turn the ball over. It just wasn’t good enough. We’re going to be really clear about that. Whether it’s wins or losses, we always make those assessments to our quarterback and everyone else. It’s just that the quarterback gets the most attention.”
Cousins will have to silence all the doubters, not only from this year but also previous years, in a prime-time Monday night game this week. Cousins has been notorious for not playing at his best in the spotlight of prime-time games.
If Cousins is not fully healed and the team continues to underperform, fans will be up in arms about their high draft pick of Michael Penix. They will face the Philadelphia Eagles this week, and then play the Kansas City Chiefs after. They could easily start their year 0-3 and not even sniff making the postseason.
Related: Atlanta Falcons Must Bench A ‘Washed’ Kirk Cousins For Michael Penix Jr. (At Least For Now)
