'No Limitations!' Kirk Cousins Brings 'Outstanding' Background to Falcons - Browns Coach Kevin Stefanski

After two years together with the Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski knows Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins better than most.

Mar 25, 2024; Orlando, FL, USA; Cleveland Browns Head coach Kevin Stefanski talks to media during NFL owners meetings. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

ORLANDO -- Kirk Cousins is still a new face to the Atlanta Falcons - but for Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski, Cousins is a blast to the past.

Stefanski, who won his second NFL Coach of the Year award this past season, worked with Cousins extensively during the 2018 and 2019 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Stefanski was Cousins' quarterbacks coach in their first year together and offensive coordinator during their second.

Together, they flourished. Cousins completed nearly 70 percent of his passes for 7,901 yards and 56 touchdowns to just 16 interceptions. Minnesota went 18-12-1 across those two seasons, and in 2019, had a top-10 scoring offense while Cousins made his second Pro Bowl.

NFL Combine / Kara Durrette/GettyImages

Stefanski parlayed this success into his gig in Cleveland. Cousins, after four more years of sustained production, signed a four-year, $180 million contract with Atlanta this March.

Equipped with a unique perspective on what makes him tick, Stefanski believes Cousins brings the Falcons a well-rounded solution under center who can be just as impactful off the field as he will be on it.

"Atlanta got a great football player and a great person," Stefanski told SI's Falcon Report on Monday at the NFL owners meetings. "I'm excited for him and his family. Kirk is as hard a working player as I've ever been around. He's so intelligent, great, great teammate. He's going to push his teammates but an extremely talented football player."

Cousins has four Pro Bowl's to his name, three of which have come since he first met Stefanski six years ago. Stefanski's offenses are notoriously run-heavy, and the Cousins-led Vikings passing attack was outside the top 20 in both yards and attempts in 2019.

But as a result of the ground-oriented approach, the Vikings capitalized on play action concepts. Among qualified passers running play action, Cousins was seventh in the NFL in completion rate at 71 percent and fifth in quarterback rating, according to Sports Information Solutions.

Atlanta's offense could follow a similar path under head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, both of whom were hired from the Los Angeles Rams. The Falcons ranked No. 1 and 3, respectively, in rushing attempts over the past two years, and No. 3 and No. 9 in rushing yards.

Since-fired head coach Arthur Smith built Atlanta to be run-oriented. The personnel Morris and Robinson are inheriting have been programmed to attack teams on the ground. Cousins has experience working - and flourishing - around similar circumstances.

But for Stefanski, who knows Cousins' strengths and weaknesses about as well as anybody, the Falcons' offense won't be pigeonholed.

"I think as Zac knows and Raheem knows, there's elements of offensive football that Kirk is outstanding at, and he's been that way his whole career going back to Washington," Stefanski said. "So we certainly leaned into the play action when we were together in Minnesota but there's really no limitations to what Kirk can do."

Cousins and Stefanski are no longer coworkers. They haven't been for four years, and contractually don't appear likely to reunite again.

But the Falcons may have the blueprint to maximizing Cousins - and Stefanski, whose office in Cleveland is some 730 miles away from Flowery Branch, has his fingerprints all over Atlanta's new generation under center.