QB Kirk Cousins ​​throws for a franchise-record 509 yards and 4 touchdowns to lead the Falcons past the Bucs in an OT thriller

Cousins ​​and the Falcons ran 81 offensive plays, wearing out the battered Bucs defense and setting the stage for a sensational rally. Their final play was a 45-yard walk-off touchdown from Cousins ​​to KhaDarel Hodge in overtime.

Cousins’ touchdown to Hodge capped a statistically outstanding night in which his 509 yards passed for a Falcons franchise record, according to NFL Research, an NFL high this season and the most by a player age 36 or older in league history, according to NFL Research NFL Research.

“I think the key is us commanding more at-bats,” Cousins ​​said. “We had 81 games. So this season we had a couple of games that were around 50 games. So you have 30 more games. That’s like another third of a game. It just gives you more chances to spread the word and get guys to be productive.”

The game-winning OT drive, in which Cousins ​​was 3 for 3 for 69 yards, came just moments after he drove the Falcons 46 yards in 1:14 and set up a game-winning 52-yard field goal by Younghoe Koo.

These back-to-back, game-winning primetime drives of Cousins ​​magic came just two weeks after he orchestrated a game-winning 70-yard march against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night of Week 3.

Falcons head coach Raheem Morris predicts there will be more to come.

“We’re just scratching the surface with him,” Morris said. “We are on fire.”

At one point in his career, Cousins ​​was 0-4 in prime time. He was memorably 0-9 in Monday night games. Now Cousins ​​has won three of his last five primetime games, and both games came as an Atlanta Falcon.

However, his performance on Thursday is unique.

He started hot, leading a 70-yard opening drive that ended with an 18-yard score to Drake London. He then threw two touchdowns to Darnell Mooney, the last coming with 13:18 left in regulation, breaking the game into a tie.

After the Bucs regained the lead at 30-27, the Falcons had two chances to tie or take the lead, but seemed to squander any chance to win. First, on third-and-six, Mooney dropped a ball into the breadbasket that could have been the go-ahead score if he had hauled it in. One play later, a Koo field goal was blocked.

A forced fumble by Jessie Bates gave Atlanta another chance, but Cousins ​​was picked off by Lavonte David soon after.

This would essentially put an end to any comeback efforts by the Falcons. However, Atlanta’s defense once again stood strong, giving Cousins ​​another chance to become Comeback Kirk.

Cousins ​​did it, producing back-to-back clutch drives that helped the Falcons to three straight wins and first place in the NFC South.

How impressive and historic was Cousins’ achievement? He joined Tom Brady with the New England Patriots in 2011 and was the only player to produce more than 500 yards and four or more TD passes in a prime-time game, according to NFL Research.

After an 0-2 start, Cousins’ performance against the Eagles was proof of why the Falcons signed him to a blockbuster free agent deal. After a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4 in which the offense went scoreless, Cousins, who appears to be well past his torn Achilles tendon at the end of the 2023 season, reiterated Thursday night how outstanding this offense can be.

“His game is all about confidence,” Morris said. “His game is about going out there and getting better every week. He’s been doing that since he got back. He’s coming off a serious injury and I’ve seen him get better every week.”

For a long time, the cousins’ narrative was that he wasn’t ready for prime time.

He is certainly ready and willing and will lead the Falcons to unforgettable moments under the lights.

“I’m proud of the way our team fought,” Cousins ​​said. “I’m proud of the resilience we’ve shown to just keep going and get through things. I’m just proud of the courage. That’s what this league needs and we were brave tonight, so happy to get a win. Win or lose, I would have been happy with the steps we took offensively tonight, but it’s a lot of fun to win and have that moment on the field with your teammates and home fans.”