Kirk Cousins Earns His Paycheck, Leads Falcons to Improbable Comeback vs. Eagles

The Atlanta Falcons stormed back to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles 22-21 on Monday Night Football.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons were staring 0-2 straight in the face. The Philadelphia Eagles held a 3-point lead and only needed to convert a third-and-3 to salt the game away.

Not only was Cousins about to lose his first two games as the Falcons starter, but he was perhaps one minute and 46 seconds away from the Michael Penix Jr. crowd getting a lot louder.

But the Eagles gave Cousins one more opportunity. Philadelphia didn't convert the third-down attempt and had to settle for a field goal. That meant the Falcons needed a touchdown, and not just a field goal. on their next drive.

But it also meant Cousins would have the ball again. He made the most of the chance.

Cousins found receiver Drake London in the end zone to cap off a 70-yard drive with 34 seconds remaining to tie the game. Younghoe Koo added the extra point, and the Falcons held on to defeat the Eagles 22-21.

"It was a big drive. A big, big play," Cousins told ESPN's Lisa Salters on the field immediately after the game. "This is a tough place to come away [with a win]. This is a good football team.

"A good, good character building to have this experience together."

Overall, Cousins was better in Philadelphia than he was in the season opener. The playcalling helped, as offensive coordinator Zac Robinson had the Falcons quarterback under center far more often during Week 2.

But Cousins still admitted to Salters he wasn't his sharpest, and he needs to be better. The 36-year-old signal caller more than earned his paycheck, though, on the final drive of the game.

On the game-winning drive, Cousins was 5-for-6 with 70 passing yards and the touchdown. With the Eagles playing prevent defense, Cousins exploited the Philadelphia defense deep along the sidelines.

The Falcons scored so quickly, their defense had to make one final stop, with the Eagles trying to answer with a field goal in the final minute. Safety Jessie Bates sealed the victory with an interception.

It's only Week 2. But it's hard to overstate the importance of this improbable victory, which improved the Falcons to 1-1. It's difficult to make the postseason after beginning 0-2, and the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are each already 2-0.

The Falcons also have a date with the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 3.

An 0-2 start would have put the Falcons in a major hole. Instead, they recorded a win that should re-energize both the organization and fan base.

"That last drive hopefully can give us a boost going into next week," Cousins told Salters. "We can build on that."