Analysis

Cousins' trio of turnovers certainly had a part to play in the surprisingly lopsided loss, as he handed the ball to the Seahawks on three consecutive second-half possessions. The miscues netted a total of 10 points for Seattle, and both picks also short-circuited drives in Seahawks territory. Cousins' one scoring pass went to Drake London midway through the third quarter from five yards out, and the veteran signal-caller will have to quickly regroup considering a Week 8 road divisional clash against the Buccaneers now is on tap.

Analysis

Cousins cruised to victory on the back of impressive rushing performances from Bijan Robinson (15-95-2) and Tyler Allgeier (18-105-1). The Falcons' starting quarterback still produced an efficient passing line with no turnovers for fantasy managers, but this was certainly a step down from Cousins' career day against the Buccaneers in Week 5. The veteran is still worthy of starting considerations in most formats ahead of next Sunday's tilt against Seattle.

Analysis

Cousins was in prolific form right from the onset, capping off the opening possession of the night with an 18-yard touchdown pass to Drake London. The veteran signal-caller would strike again early in the second quarter via a 24-yard scoring toss to Darnell Mooney, and Cousins would connect with the speedster again in the fourth quarter from 12 yards away. However, Cousins' most impactful throw came just 1:15 into overtime, when he hit KhaDarel Hodge on a 45-yard catch and run that served as his fourth touchdown pass of the night and sealed the victory while propelling him to a franchise-record single-game yardage total. Cousins did throw what could have been a back-breaking interception with 1:52 remaining in regulation and the Falcons down three, but Atlanta was able to get the ball back in time to mount a nine-play march that culminated in a game-tying 52-yard field goal by Younghoe Koo. Cousins ultimately facilitated two 100-yard performances by his receivers (London and Mooney) and also showed encouraging chemistry with Kyle Pitts by hitting him on seven occasions for 88 yards. After a relatively pedestrian first four games in coordinator Zac Robinson's offense, Cousins clearly broke through with an all-time performance Thursday, and it remains to be seen how much of the massive momentum will carry over into a Week 6 road matchup against the vulnerable Panthers defense on Sunday, Oct. 13.

Analysis

The veteran quarterback failed to throw a TD pass for the first time in four games as a member of the Falcons, but instead Atlanta got its offense on a fumble recovery score on special teams, a pick-six by the defense, and four Younghoe Koo field goals, including a 58-yard game-winner with two seconds left on the clock. Cousins has yet to break out for Atlanta, posting a 4:4 TD:INT so far and failing to reach 250 passing yards in a game, but he may need to step up his production in Week 5 against the Buccaneers.

Analysis

Cousins performed adequately against the reigning Super Bowl champs on Sunday, completing over two-thirds of his pass attempts and throwing for a touchdown against a tough defense. That said, the final fantasy line left much to be desired from hopeful managers. Cousins has yet to surpass the 300-yard mark in any of his first three starts in Atlanta after accomplishing the same feat three times in three tries last season with Minnesota. The veteran starter remains a viable option against another tough defense (New Orleans) in Week 4.

Analysis

Cousins played hero after a disappointing Falcons debut Week 1, with the veteran signal-caller seemingly shaking off some final rust over the course of the contest. He got into a rhythm when it mattered most, helming a six-play, 70-yard drive that began with 1:39 remaining and saw him complete three passes of double-digit yardage before capping off the march with a seven-yard touchdown pass. The scoring toss, which proved to be the difference in the contest, was preceded by a 41-yard TD strike to Darnell Mooney late in the third quarter that erased a 10-9 deficit at the time. Cousins looked exponentially better than in the opener against Pittsburgh, and he'll hope to build on Monday night's effort in a Sunday night home showdown against the Chiefs in Week 3.

Analysis

Cousins did not have a good Falcons debut, as he struggled with both inefficiency and untimely mistakes. Each of his interceptions led directly to a field goal for the Steelers, and Cousins appeared out of sync in the offense as the team lost a fumble due to mistimed motion. Cousins also managed only 6.0 yards per attempt, and his longest completion went for just 20 yards. The considerable rust is understandable given that it's been 10 months since he appeared in game action after completing his recovery from Achilles surgery, though Cousins and the Falcons will face another tough test in Week 2 against the Eagles.

Analysis

"The guy's full-go," Morris said. "I don't worry about [Cousins]." The veteran signal-caller has reportedly showcased a recent willingness to tuck and run the ball at practices and take hits that will extend a play, which are positive signs as he heads into his age-36 season while working back from a serious injury. Morris said the Falcons fully expect Cousins to be ready for Sept. 8's regular-season opener, but that in the meantime "we're just trying to avoid any unnecessary trips or stumbles." Rookie eighth overall pick Michael Penix could be the biggest beneficiary of Cousins not suiting up for preseason action, as Atlanta could allow him to get the bulk of first-team exhibition reps, beginning with Friday's contest on the road in Miami.

Analysis

In other words, Cousins might not get as many reps as a starting quarterback typically would even though he doesn't have any limitations in terms of the types of activities he can do. The Falcons have two good options to handle first-team QB reps when Cousins is rested, as they still have Taylor Heinicke and drafted Michael Penix eighth overall. The latter development could make things rather interesting in Atlanta if Cousins doesn't look like his Minnesota self in his age-36 season ahead. The Falcons were undeterred by the Achilles' tear he suffered late last October, giving Cousins a four-year, $180 million contract with half the money guaranteed at signing.