'No-Brainer' What Falcons Should Be Thankful For This Year

NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha argued that it's obvious what the Atlanta Falcons should be thankful for this holiday season.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

It's the final week of November, which means it's time for NFL pundits to release their Thanksgiving-themed columns. I won't make fun, though, because I'm a sucker for seasonal and holiday-themed pieces.

On Nov. 25, NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha named one thing every team should be thankful for this season. For the Atlanta Falcons, his pick was very easy -- quarterback Kirk Cousins.

"This one was a no-brainer. The Falcons gave Cousins $100 million in guaranteed money because they needed a quarterback they could trust to make them a real postseason contender," Chadiha wrote. "He’s done exactly that so far, even if Atlanta just suffered two tough losses prior to the Week 12 bye.

"Cousins has produced solid numbers (17 touchdown passes, nine interceptions), and he’s led the Falcons to a 4-1 record in the NFC South thus far. That puts him light years ahead of what this team was getting from signal-callers like Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke over the previous couple years.

"There are legitimate things to be worried about with the Falcons as they push toward a playoff spot, specifically their lack of pass rush. Cousins isn’t one of them."

Cousins hasn't been perfect. He's averaged 7.4 yards per pass with no touchdowns, 2 interceptions and 6 sacks during the team's recent 2-game losing streak. But Cousins is still the main reason why the Falcons are in first place of the NFC South during Thanksgiving week.

His performances versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers alone are a top reason to be thankful. In two games against Tampa Bay, Cousins completed almost 75% of his passes for more than 9 yards per attempt. He also threw 8 touchdowns and just 1 interception.

Both of those performances were in victories. That has given the Falcons the tiebreaker over the Buccaneers, putting Atlanta in the driver's seat in the NFC South.

Cousins also orchestrated a comeback drive in the 2-minute drill during Week 2 versus the Philadelphia Eagles. He threw multiple touchdowns against the Dallas Cowboys as well.

Overall, Cousins has posted a 68.1% completion percentage, 2,807 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and 9 interceptions in 11 games this season.

In 2023, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke combined for 2,406 yards, 10 touchdowns and 9 interceptions through 12 weeks.