Kirk Cousins bests Mike Zimmer's Cowboys in battle of former Vikings

Cousins threw three touchdowns as the Falcons won their fifth game in the last six weeks.

Nov 3, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Kirk Cousins got the better of Mike Zimmer on Sunday in a battle between two former central figures in the Vikings' organization.

Facing a Zimmer-coached Cowboys defense missing Micah Parsons and several other key players, Cousins had a highly efficient day in a 27-21 Falcons victory in Atlanta. The veteran quarterback completed 19 of his 24 passes for 222 yards and 3 touchdowns, good for a 144.8 passer rating. He did lose a fumble early in the second quarter, but he was able to bounce back and didn't throw any interceptions on the day.

Cousins connected with Drake London, Darnell Mooney, and Ray-Ray McCloud III for touchdowns, giving him 17 on the season. The Falcons led 21-10 early in the third quarter after Cousins' third TD pass and were able to hang on against a Cowboys team that lost QB Dak Prescott to a hamstring injury in the second half.

First career receiving TD as a Falcon for @RMIII_34!

FOX | NFL+ pic.twitter.com/3nKR79IcU2

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) November 3, 2024

With the win, the Falcons move to 6-3 on the season and will be two games up in the NFC South (plus a tiebreaker) if the Buccaneers lose to the undefeated Chiefs on Monday night. Atlanta has won five of its last six games after starting 1-2. This was Cousins' third game in the last five with at least three passing touchdowns.

Early this season, there were some concerns about Cousins' health, with the 36-year-old coming off of last year's torn Achilles. But he's settled in and is thriving in the Falcons' offense on a team that has a clear path to a division title and home playoff game.

Meanwhile, the Cowboys are 3-5 and will need to turn things around in the second half to reach the postseason. It's been a rough year for Zimmer in his return to the NFL as the defensive coordinator in Dallas, but injuries have taken a toll.

Cousins and Zimmer met up and shared a moment before the game.

Minnesota Nice pic.twitter.com/RrrYt9NPW5

— Atlanta Falcons (@AtlantaFalcons) November 3, 2024

Cousins will make his return to U.S. Bank Stadium in a little over a month when the Falcons come to Minnesota in Week 14.