In the offseason, the Atlanta Falcons got busy, signing Kirk Cousins to a four-year deal worth $180 million with $100 million guaranteed. They also signed receivers Darnell Mooney and Rondale Moore.
The Falcons’ offense has been exciting for fans to monitor and talk about, but their defense has made some improvements of their own. Late into the preseason, the Falcons signed star linebacker Matthew Judon from the New England Patriots. Alongside safety Jessie Bates and cornerback, A.J. Terrell, this defense is one to watch during the 2024-2025 season.
The first game of the season was the Falcons vs. the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers have also made a quarterback change, with Justin Fields set to lead their offense. Fields, whom the Falcons considered signing in the offseason, may be playing with a chip on his shoulder after the Falcons passed on him to sign Cousins.
The Falcons’ first drive looked promising, driving down into the red zone and kicking an early field goal to take the lead. On Cousins’s second drive, he threw an interception directly into the arms of DeShon Elliot.
Cousins would throw a touchdown late into the second quarter to tight end Kyle Pitts, making the score 10-6 for the Falcons. The second quarter was a disaster as edge rusher T.J. Watt was in the backfield, repeatedly. This caused two turnovers, with one being the game-sealer late into the fourth quarter.
The Steelers did not score a touchdown. Field goal kicker Chris Boswell kicked six field goals, and that was all the Steelers needed to win.
During the days leading up to the Monday night showdown in Philadelphia, there was a lot of talk regarding whether Cousins was healthy coming off his Achilles injury.
Due to the rivalry between the Atlanta Falcons and Philadelphia Eagles, many fans would argue that there is not a harder place to play than in Philadelphia, so this would be a rough test for Cousins and the Falcons. The Eagles have made changes to their team as well by signing star running back Saquon Barkley from the New York Giants.
As the game began, both teams were showing that this was going to be a dogfight. The Falcons were running the ball with second-year running back Bijan Robinson and third-year running back Tyler Allgeier. Going into the third quarter, the score was 7-6 with both defenses looking great.
There had only been one touchdown in the first half, and it was a seven-yard touchdown pass from Jalen Hurts to Devonta Smith. There was much more offense in the second half and both quarterbacks were bringing their A game.
Late into the fourth quarter, it was looking like the Eagles were going to run the clock out. On a pivotal third down, Barkley dropped a pass that would have put the game away if he were to catch it.
This gave the Falcons an opportunity to drive down the field and score a touchdown, which would give them the lead. With just one timeout left and only one minute and 30 seconds left, it took Cousins three plays to get inside the Eagles 15-yard line.
Cousins would throw a touchdown to Drake London with 34 seconds left in the game. With the extra point being good, the Falcons took a 22-21 lead.
On the second play of the Eagles drive, Hurts threw a wide pass that was intercepted by Bates. This was a huge win for the Falcons and got fans back on track thinking this team could win.
“After the Eagles got into the red zone with a minute and 30 left, I thought the game was over,” said Jared Carter, a senior accounting major. “I couldn’t believe Cousins drove us down the field as fast as he did and won us the game.”
In week three, the Falcons would play another prime-time game against the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs. Another daunting task for the Falcons as the Chiefs once again are looking great and are 2-0 through their first two games.
In what was a close game, the Falcons struggled with time of possession and third-down conversions. The Chiefs controlled the ball for nine more minutes than the Falcons, with the Falcons only converting two out of their nine third downs.
The Falcons also battled some controversial no-calls from the referees which cost them. Either way, the Falcons lost 22-17 in what was a very well-played game by both teams.
The Falcons are now facing the Steelers, Eagles and Chiefs who are combined with an 8-1 record through three weeks.
“So far the Atlanta Falcons have had a solid start to the season,” said Carter Kling, a junior marketing major. “The defense has looked pretty legit, and Kirk Cousins is learning more each game with his new team and playbook.”
Heading into week four, Atlanta faces their division rival, New Orleans, in a crucial NFC South Matchup. With what was another tough win for the Falcons, victory was barely pulled through with a field goal in the 2nd quarter.
