Kirk Cousins takes Responsibility for Falcons Loss after 4 INT Nightmare

As Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins came under scrutiny for his four interceptions Sunday vs. the Los Angeles Chargers, his team supported him.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 245 yards and four interceptions Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins started his postgame press conference Sunday with one word: disappointing.

Cousins, speaking after Atlanta (6-6) fell 17-13 to the Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) on Sunday inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium, used it to describe the game's outcome and his personal play.

And the 36-year-old Cousins was left with no option but to find the nearest mirror.

"I look to myself and say, 'I’ve got to play better,'" Cousins said. "It hurts when you feel like your defense played winning football, you feel like your special teams made big plays, felt like the run game did a solid job. I’ve got to play better, and so [I] take responsibility. It hurts.

"Feel like that was a game we had a chance to win if I played at the standard I expect to play at."

Cousins added he'll go back and watch the film with a critical eye, searching for answers to ensure such a performance never happens again. When he does, he'll find an offense that nearly doubled the Chargers in total yards, recorded 14 more first downs and possessed the ball for nearly 12 minutes longer.

And still lost -- in large part because Cousins threw four interceptions, tied for a career-high.

"You just can't turn the football over four times and expect to win," Morris said broadly before later expanding on Cousins during his postgame press conference. "He did everything right but turn the ball over."

Cousins finished 24-for-39 passing for 245 yards and no touchdowns -- it marks the third consecutive game he hasn't thrown a touchdown, his longest spell since becoming a full-time starter in 2015.

He said postgame he felt as good physically as he has all season. Now over 13 months removed from Achilles surgery and given the bye week to rest his throwing elbow and shoulder, Cousins said he'd love to say he was playing through something Sunday, but he wasn't.

The results merely weren't there.

"It's just disappointing," Cousins said. "It's hard to feel good about it. So, you’ve just got to get back on the horse and get back to work and play your best up ahead and look forward. But you don't gloss over it either. You're hard on yourself and try to learn a lot from it."

Each of Cousins's four interceptions occurred in Chargers territory. One, a 61-yard pick-six to rookie cornerback Tarheeb Still, netted Los Angeles its lone points -- and the decisive score -- of the second half. Another came in the endzone when a field goal may have changed the complexion of Atlanta's final drive.

The last was also the Falcons' final play from scrimmage, a desperate pass to receiver Drake London undercut by Chargers safety Derwin James.

Cousins now leads the NFL with 13 interceptions. He's thrown at least one interception in eight of Atlanta's 12 games, including each of the past three.

But the Falcons remain behind Cousins. Morris said afterward he didn't consider turning to first-round rookie and current backup quarterback Michael Penix Jr., and Cousins will, without question, be the team's starter moving forward.

[RELATED: Raheem Morris Comments on Kirk Cousins, Michael Penix Following Chargers Loss]

Falcons receiver Darnell Mooney compared Cousins's interceptions to pass catchers dropping the ball. London noted every player to grace an NFL field has a bad game, and he expressed his irritation over a question about whether he felt the need to say anything to Cousins on the sideline.

"It's not all on Kirk. It can never be all on Kirk," London said. "We have to run the right routes, we have to be detailed and we have to execute our plays. Kirk is more than an exceptional quarterback. He's in the history books, so can't really say anything about that. We all had an off day."

Cousins entered the day fifth in the NFL in passing yards per game 255.2, while his 17 touchdown passes put him in a tie for ninth. The Falcons' offense didn't struggle moving the ball Sunday, totaling 350 yards and 24 first downs.

But Atlanta went just 3-of-14 on third down and 2-of-4 on fourth down. It had four redzone trips and found the endzone only once. Two others ended scoreless, one due to an interception and the other a missed field goal by kicker Younghoe Koo.

Cousins said the Chargers' defense played stout coverage and did a good job of blending it with their pass rush. Still, Atlanta needed better execution. Morris has no doubt Cousins will provide it moving forward.

"Kirk was brought here to put us in a playoff position," Morris said. "To put us in position to go out there and find a way to get in the playoffs, get a home playoff game, win this division in the south -- everything is still right in front of us.

"Kirk's here to develop and grow and to make us go and find a way to get wins, and that's his job, and he will continue to do that for us."

The Falcons' offense sputtered in the second half. Across five drives, Cousins threw three interceptions, and Atlanta settled for field goals on its other two possessions.

Since the fourth quarter of Atlanta's 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Nov. 10, the Cousins-led offense has scored only one touchdown -- a two-yard rush from running back Bijan Robinson in the first quarter Sunday.

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The Falcons hoped their Week 12 bye would lend some solutions. Nothing materialized against the Chargers. Still, Atlanta believes in Cousins.

"Kirk is fantastic," All-Pro right guard Chris Lindstrom said. "We love him. He's the leader of this team. He drives us every single day. He's the guy who brings energy every single day, and he's there for us. He's a huge reason why we're here in this spot, first in the division.

"We've hit a bump in the road, but it's not going to stop us going forward."

Lindstrom echoed something Morris said moments prior -- the Falcons wouldn't be where they are without Cousins. On the surface, it's an odd notion, as Atlanta is 6-6, but due to the subpar nature of the NFC South, the Falcons still have the division lead.

After Sunday, Atlanta is tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the Falcons own the tiebreaker. To Morris, all that means is Atlanta, regardless of its three-game losing streak, still has everything in front of itself.

And in Morris's eyes, there's nobody better suited to lead the Falcons than Cousins.

"That guy's carried us all season," Morris said. "He's done such a marvelous job, it's hard to throw that guy under the bus -- what he's done for us and what he's done for this organization. So, we'll bounce back. We'll bring him back, and we'll get ready to go."