Falcons Bench Kirk Cousins
December 17th, 2024
Reeling.
What a wonderful day it is to dislike the Falcons.
While Atlanta beat a terrible Raiders team last night 15-9, it seems their organization didn’t treat the victory with the common NFL attitude, “Any road win in the NFL is a thing of beauty.”
Instead, Falcons management saw their mess of an offense and pulled the plug on their $50 million quarterback. Perhaps you’ve heard of him; he’s savior Kirk Cousins, the darling of the national media from March through October.
Now Cousiins out in favor of rookie Michael Penix, who will make his debut against the sad Giants before heading to Washington in what will be a massive test on Sunday Night Football.
It’s desperation time for Atlanta (7-7), which sits one game behind the Bucs (8-6) with three games to play. Atlanta is in true must-win territory.
Joe loves the move to Penix. First, it will be fun to watch. Second, the odds of a rookie jumping into the fray in late December and winning three straight are very slim.
Third, Joe is enjoying watching the entire Falcons organzation, from former Bucs head coach Raheem Morris to owner Arthur “don’t call me Irv” Blank, squirm and struggle to keep pace with Tampa Bay.
December 17th, 2024 at 9:44 pm
I don’t really see how their offense could look much worse than it did last night – that was an all-time awful game to watch. As a Bucs fan, I’d much prefer to have seen them stick with Cousins – I know it can get worse, but even if it does get worse it’s like getting a false start penalty when you’re already at your own 2 yard line.
December 17th, 2024 at 9:45 pm
Whose defence was the only defence that Kirk Cousins smoked this year? That’s right, Todd Bowles.
December 17th, 2024 at 9:46 pm
It will be funny if the giants beat them
December 17th, 2024 at 9:47 pm
Skating away on the thin ice of a new season in 2025!
You like that, Kirk?
Wish Daboll could find some way to get an offense in time for Sunday. What a dumpster fire both New York teams are.
Would be hilarious to see the Ginats beat up on the rookie.
Go Big Blue!
December 17th, 2024 at 9:47 pm
Atlanta’s offense just improved….by a lot.
They were calling plays scared because of him last night – I’m amazed they didn’t pull the plug mid-game.
Which Buc’s fans around here were talking about Cousins being so much better than Baker at the start of the year? Cmon, don’t be shy?
December 17th, 2024 at 9:47 pm
Once again, Kirk Cousins, a career mediocre QB, is laughing all the way to the bank. $281 million worth of career earnings and he has won nothing.
December 17th, 2024 at 9:49 pm
It’s a good move for the Falcons. He can’t possibly be worst than how Cousins was playing the past 5 games. Hopefully he plays like a rookie and the Faocons can drop a game or two. Either way, the focus should on winning out and locking up the 3 seed
December 17th, 2024 at 9:50 pm
Where was this Kirk when he played the Buccaneers? He looks lost out there right now.
December 17th, 2024 at 9:54 pm
Steve, your use of c rather than s is proof that your opinion is meaningless. Buy a dictionary and stfu.
December 17th, 2024 at 9:55 pm
Chris he will be close to half a billion with this contract he raped thr NFL for. Dude was a never was. Bummed Atlanta benched him. I agree with Rod. This can only help Atlanta benching him
December 17th, 2024 at 9:57 pm
Bucs and the fans need to focus on the Cowboys! Any of the Bucs remaining 3 opponents can beat the Bucs if they’re not hungry.
December 17th, 2024 at 10:02 pm
I am a Bucs fan. The Falcons have some great young players and the decisions they have made will cost them for several years. Just look at Cousins cap hit.
I just love it!
December 17th, 2024 at 10:06 pm
Still very nervous about missing the playoffs. We have basically a half game lead over Atlanta. Could see us losing to any of the 3 teams we have left and Atlanta winning out. Hope I’m wrong!
December 17th, 2024 at 10:11 pm
Falcons probably picked about the best time with the options left to them to make the move. Giants need a QB and are likely tanking for the #1 pick (Falcons are lucky to have landed back to back games with the two teams “competing” for that #1 pick to land a QB). So assume for arguments sake the Falcons get a confidence building win at home against a team that doesn’t want to win, then an inconsistent Redsk…I mean Commanders team and finally a run-sieve Panthers D (which will take pressure off Penix if all he has to do is hand the ball off 25+ times). Just praying the Bucs take care of business and win out, so we don’t have to care about the Falcons QB’s.
December 17th, 2024 at 10:12 pm
Take it easy, Shake.
First “defence” is the proper spelling in England, origin of English.
Second, Steve did not express an opinion. What he stated is fact. Otherwise, there’s always Preparation H for sore butt parts.
December 17th, 2024 at 10:17 pm
PS — hilarity will ensue now that a guy named Penix is a starting QB. You can hear the Bevis & Butthead laughter building underneath the internet.
December 17th, 2024 at 10:20 pm
As a buc fan it’s hard to talk crap about the “savior” Cousins when he went off on the Bucs in passing yards, TD’s and oh yeah, beat em twice. How in the heck did we get throttled by this guy twice?!?!
December 17th, 2024 at 10:26 pm
I like Penix. But he played poorly vs Michigan. I expect he’s not ready for the drama yet.
December 17th, 2024 at 10:28 pm
Kirk Cousins’ greatest talent is acquiring contracts with no history of post season success. The Falcons are his latest victims
December 17th, 2024 at 10:31 pm
Have to admit this is bizarre.
The falcons are in the hunt, cousins was likely the best option to get them to take the Bucs out.
Cousins has struggled but he was likely the best option for the playoffs. Sure they weren’t going anywhere but out first round, but from a franchise perspective why not have something to build on for next year.
This is a tank option for sure. They handed the division to the Bucs. I’m not sad, wild card club seats already purchased, for ray Jay, just shocked.
Cousins is similar to Baker, Geno and a lot of other solid QBs that are searching for a home. Bake is home, I thiught for sure Cousins was gonna be our struggle for years.
For now let’s celebrate a division in shambles and a QB in Baker who found a home.
LFG. Go Bucs!
After Jamies is a bad dream and clevland Nightmare, so happy to have Baker and years to go.
December 17th, 2024 at 10:53 pm
I think this is a bad move by Raheem Morris, he may have just lost his team! And, I agree with Joe and most of you that this is a great move for the Buccaneers!!
Go Bucs !! Beat the Cowboys!!
December 17th, 2024 at 11:00 pm
Can Penix really be worse than Cousins? I think Penix will be better than Cousins, and ATL will have a better chance of winning. The Giants are hibernating until the draft and are an easy test to give Penix a try. If Penix starts poorly in the Giants game, Cousins would come into the game as the savior. Also, Cousins is shell-shocked and has the yips. Maybe some time off would renew his confidence.
The Bucs need to forget this chatter about ATL – they control their destiny and need to WIN OUT. Trample America’s Team!
December 17th, 2024 at 11:24 pm
I was on & off with him even coming out of college.
December 17th, 2024 at 11:36 pm
JaMiss back on the bench in Cleveland. I hope for his sake he goes somewhere like Denver. Payton seemed to calm down his inner spaz. He needs something like that. If Payton would want him – different question.
December 17th, 2024 at 11:41 pm
Penix is probably a better talent than Cousins. I said probably because I haven’t seen him play yet. I hope the Falcons game is on tv.
December 17th, 2024 at 11:56 pm
i doubt the panthers will be trying too hard to win that last game against the falcons. so basically, all they have to do is beat the commanders. probably already planning for that one.
December 18th, 2024 at 1:27 am
I’m with Rod on this one , would have preferred they stuck with Cousins. He’s awful against everyone except us.
December 18th, 2024 at 3:22 am
do you thunk michael pee-ness will do any better that twerk fuzzins…???
December 18th, 2024 at 3:23 am
i thunk not
December 18th, 2024 at 4:17 am
Another bust with the heavy money contract of Kirk’s and we all called it here, especially Joe. Kirk was a wild card from the beginning, and with all that hype. Then they drafted Penix. Atlanta knew this could happen.
I like Kirk, seems like a really nice guy. Fortunately for him, he can laugh all the way to the bank now. Penix worries me though. We don’t know how he really looks in their practices. We will find out in their next three games.
December 18th, 2024 at 5:07 am
Say what you want about sorry Kirk Cousins, but he somehow managed to carve up Todd Bowles defense not once but twice this season. Not sure if that’s an endorsement of Cousins or an indictment of Bowles. Either way, it’s an embarrassment for the Bucs.
Just another example of how Bowles has outlived his welcome. Time to go, Todd
December 18th, 2024 at 5:46 am
Beat the Cowboys.
December 18th, 2024 at 6:13 am
Just focus on beating the Cowboys, Panthers, and Saints and what the Flacons do doesn’t matter.
December 18th, 2024 at 6:28 am
@LittleSage. You’re not looking at a Bowles firing in context, most fans that are calling for his firing have no idea what kind of shakeup firing Bowles would cause this entire franchise. To include the locker-room, which by the way, make no mistake, that is Bowles locker-room. You think we just insert ANY def coordinator and all of sudden our defensive players come alive, start playing better, start tackling better, more int’s, forcing more fumbles, more sacks, no more zone coverage, all the above, right? Top 10 defense! This defense has some talent, but not enough. Especially at DE/ILB. Yaya did not make the leap we were hoping for, and we’ve bookend him with a JAG… pick any of the guys that rotate over there, Nelson, JTS, Braswell, these are rotational guys that do well on a play-by-play basis, but not full-time. To make matters worse, we need an ILB, to which not only did we have 2-5th round picks replacing a first-round talent, but both guys got injured.
Another thing to consider is that Bowles def, and its players are tailored for his defense. You don’t stick this same defense into a Saleh 4-3 scheme and see same or better results. Saleh benefitted from a very strong pass rush in San Fran. Reall-talk, Bowles defense this season is about match ups. ATL was not a good match yet, teams like Phili and the Chargers were. I don’t know why we allowed Cousins to put up a ridiculous numbers, I think ATL was excellent at picking up the pressure we tried to create, and Cousins knew where to go EVERY damn time. Funny, he had excellent numbers against us in Week 1 of last season, and yet we still won that game, just like we should have won both games against ATL this year despite the big numbers Cousins put up. Let’s see how the next 3 games go.
December 18th, 2024 at 6:53 am
Desperation has set in for the Falcons. They are wanting to see if penix can be a NFL QB. They see Bucs winning out and they are on the outside looking in. So let’s take a look at the future and how he can play in real games. I really don’t see him being a long term answer.
Management should be fired both in Atlanta and Cleveland
December 18th, 2024 at 7:26 am
I knew when they hired Rah Rah atlanta was going to be a dumpster fire. It just took half a season to show up!
December 18th, 2024 at 7:31 am
Saints need a coach, Atlanta dumpster fire and Canales panthers debacle riding with a high school QB we are in good shape for years to come!!!!!
December 18th, 2024 at 7:43 am
Ok. Falcons can easily win 2 of their remaining 3 games (Giants and Panthers) with Penix. We have to, at least, win two of the next three games to win the division. If we slip up and lose two, we’re toast. Beating Dallas in Dallas is super important.
December 18th, 2024 at 7:48 am
You like that cousins!!!
December 18th, 2024 at 7:49 am
How did they beat us twice and put up so many yards
December 18th, 2024 at 7:54 am
Ol’ Kissin’ Cousins…looked all world vs The Bucs TWICE this season. In fact, the Falcones had parade like celebrations following each win. What a strange season. I’d give the Giants a puncher’s chance…but they are tanking and are down to Tim Boils/Boyles at QB.
December 18th, 2024 at 8:38 am
It’s an average salary of 45 million per year but you can always count on Joe stretching everything another 10%.
This year only 25 million counted against the cap with a jump to a 40 million cap hit next year. Kirk also worked a Full no trade clause and I am sure he will work a deal where he will not go to another team in 2025 and get paid to work with Penix or stay at home and work on the little bit of mobility that he has lacked this season.
Doubt that they had Cousins in the shotgun because it was the offense that they wanted to run and more of a protection concern. Either way they now have a QB that can at least move within the pocket or get out and extend the play. did I mention the Cannon with deadly accuracy? Bucs know all too well that if they didn’t have a QB with at least some mobility they would not be sitting at 8-6 which is far from being out of the woods in the NFCS.
As Joe likes to stretch he also likes to omit. By that Falcons games are must wins he fails to mention that Bucs games are all must win also. If it’s all tied up in the Division come Sunday at midnight Penix could quite possibly run the table as he was throwing to NFL receivers his final year at Washington. if joe doesn’t believe Penix can step in and ball out perhaps he should ask the 2nd or 3rd best Receiver from that last years Huskie’s Draft Class currently on the Bucs Roster.
It looks promising as of today for Tampa but it’s still tighter than it is being projected. Dallas is 100% Must Win.
December 18th, 2024 at 8:58 am
65 million in dead cap space, Love it!!!
December 18th, 2024 at 9:04 am
Right on Joe! Love watching the Falcons implode. Thing is though, I remember Atlanta got a lot of criticism for drafting Penix so high after giving Cousins all that loot. I thought Penix was an excellent pick for them. I believe he will be a good quarterback in this league with a good offensive coordinator. The criticism should’ve been about giving Cousins that fat contract. No way was he worth all that money. They’ll be feeling that on the cap for the next few years! The Falcons misery is our joy! Go Bucs! Play sharp & hungry this Sunday night and beat the Dallas Joneses then win out the last two games. Go into the playoffs humming just like 2020! Who would want us in the playoffs?
December 18th, 2024 at 9:17 am
Raheem Morris was stuck between a rock and a hard place when he came HC of Tampa Bay. That’s all on the Glazer Boyz. Morris also produced a winning (shock) season here with what little he had talent-wise. Bucs fans need to focus on the Bucs. We have to beat the Cowjokes in Jerry’s house. I think we will just like I did the Chargers even tho I didn’t think we would slaughter them. 40-17? Sheesh!! C’mon, Bucs!! Watch out for the refs especially in Dallas!
December 18th, 2024 at 9:20 am
This was the guy that Todd Bowles had no answers for, in the 2 games Cousins SHREDDED the Bucs defense.
December 18th, 2024 at 9:25 am
Yeah, Cousins looks so shell shocked I hate to see him pulled. But experience tells me that decisions made out of desperation don’t usually work. Penix has arm talent but he missed 2 complete college seasons having had both knees blown out. Atlanta made a mistake paying Cousins like they did. Hoping they made another mistake drafting Penix. It’s probable they made a mistake hiring Morris. It’s like the Falcons making boneheaded mistakes is trending.
December 18th, 2024 at 10:05 am
This is a tank option for sure.
Bucs Orlando, no disrespect, but that is completely wrong. Nobody tanks when they are one game out of first place in their division. Nor when they wouldn’t be affecting their draft position in any significant way.
The Falcons are trying to win, and they feel this move is the best way to do that.
December 18th, 2024 at 10:17 am
D Cone talking about Joe stretching….. what the heck, has Penix even played a quarter in the NFL??? Saying he is all that without anything to back it up is the definition of stretching….College is College NFL is a different animal and the book is definitely not been written on Penix, cannon arm, mobility, smarts to play QB in NFL. Come on D Cone.
December 18th, 2024 at 10:36 am
Don’t you think that the Falcons are doing this in part to please their fan base by showing them “the future” now and also by showing them they are willing to bench a highly paid starter who isn’t producing wins and is looking very poor and on the downside of his career.
How do we know that some of the Falcon players may have been displeased with Cousins lack of mobility and Morris picked up on it.
Arthur Blank wants fans in the Mercedes Benz stadium and wants the Falcons to be relevant. He’s in a no-win situation, play the non mobile, weaker armed older guy or give the fans a glimpse of hope with a more mobile stronger armed rookie.
December 18th, 2024 at 12:46 pm
Well it looks like my early season prediction is looking good. I said the Bucs would win the division and Penix would be the starter in ATL before the end of the year.
LET’S GO BUCS!
December 18th, 2024 at 5:49 pm
The Dixie Chicks are always trying to imitate the Bucs in every way. There are many examples, including hiring Raheem, but bringing in an aging QB to take them to the playoffs takes the cake. I wish that they would find their own formula for success.