Falcons Stock Report: Kirk Cousins Free Fall Continues at Raiders

From Bijan Robinson to Kirk Cousins, here's who's rising and falling after the Atlanta Falcons topped the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night Football.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for a season-low 112 yards Monday night against the Las Vegas Raiders. / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons (7-7) snapped their four-game losing streak Monday night, topping the Las Vegas Raiders 15-9 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Atlanta, which led 15-3 and had possession of the ball with less than six minutes to play, needed to dodge a pair of Hail Mary attempts from Raiders quarterback Desmond Ridder in the closing seconds to fly home victorious.

The Falcons wanted to play complementary football. They didn't -- but not without a few standout efforts.

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Special Teams

Receiver KhaDarel Hodge blocked one punt and tipped another, while cornerback Kevin King blocked an extra point. Punter Bradley Pinion pinned the Raiders deep on several occasions. Return specialist Avery Williams had a 12-yard punt return, 38-yard kick return and 28-yard return on a post-safety kick.

Atlanta almost certainly doesn't win this one without its brilliant special teams night.

OLB DeAngelo Malone

Where did he come from? Malone, who had just one sack through his first 45 games as a professional, collected two sacks Monday night.

It's worth noting the Falcons drafted Ridder at No. 74 overall and Malone at No. 82 overall with their two third-draft picks in 2022.

RB Bijan Robinson

The second-year runner took 22 carries for 125 yards and caught one pass for 10 yards. He broke the 1,000-yard mark late in the first quarter, broke 2,000 yards for his career and moved to 17th place on the team's all-time rushing list.

Robinson's 135 yards from scrimmage puts him at 1,513 scrimmage yards this season, which is already more than the 1,463 he collected last season.

[RELATED: Falcons' Bijan Robinson Hits Career Milestones at Raiders]

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QB Kirk Cousins

While Cousins snapped a four-game streak without throwing a touchdown pass, he struggled otherwise. He went 11-for-17 passing for 112 yards, one touchdown and an interception, which gives him five straight games with a giveaway -- the longest single season stretch of his career.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said postgame the team needs Cousins to "play better," which falls on both the player and staff. Cousins did little to put out the flames surrounding his job security over rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. with his struggles in Las Vegas.

Team Direction

The Falcons snapped their losing skid, yes. They're only one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and are .500 entering a manageable three-game sprint to the finish line, yes.

But it's difficult to feel like Atlanta, in the form it showed Monday night, is any type of serious contender if it does find its way into the playoffs.

The Raiders have now lost 10 consecutive games, and Ridder, who began the season on the Arizona Cardinals' practice squad, is Las Vegas' third starting quarterback this season. And still, the Falcons were forced to hold their breath in the waning seconds.

Winning is hard in the NFL, and that shouldn't be discounted. But the Falcons made this one much harder than they needed to.

K Younghoe Koo

Koo went 2-for-3 kicking, making attempts from 40 and 48 yards while missing slightly right from 42. But perhaps the biggest question surrounding Koo isn't what he did, it's what he didn't do.

The Falcons had chances to kick field goals from 55 and 56 yards in the first half and opted instead to punt. Koo made a 58-yard field goal in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the domed Allegiant Stadium should present a similar atmosphere.

Morris said postgame he merely wanted to pin Las Vegas deep. On one occasion, he was proven right, as Pinion put the Raiders deep in their own territory, and Atlanta forced a safety on two snaps later. On another, Pinion's punt went into the endzone, resulting in a field position gain of just 18 yards.