Kirk Cousins' resurgence is powering the Falcons back to the top

When the Atlanta Falcons signed Kirk Cousins to a four-year $180M contract this past offseason, many looked at the move with confusion. 

The soon-to-be 36-year-old quarterback was coming off a season ending achilles tear in Minnesota, and the common theme among analysts and fans alike was investing that much money in an aging quarterback wasn't a prudent investment. 

The move went from confusing to downright unbelievable just two months later when the Falcons used their eighth overall pick to select standout Washington Huskies quarterback Michael Penix Jr. 

These concerns only grew louder following Week 1, as a still hobbled Cousins struggled greatly against the elite pass rush of the Pittsburgh Steelers. In his first game in almost 10 months, Cousins only managed 155 yards and threw just one touchdown and two interceptions. 

Week 1 overreactions are common in the NFL, but the overwhelming sentiment from just about everyone was that fourth-year general manager Terry Fontenot had tied the team to an frail old man at quarterback. 

A poor showing in the first half of Week 2 against a formidable Eagles team only served to add fuel to the fire, and most were ready to call the season a failure then and there. Coming out of halftime however, Cousins apparently regained whatever mojo he had prior to his season ending injury last year.

In the second half against the Eagles, Cousins looked completely unrecognizable. He was suddenly pushing the ball down field with conviction, and you could almost see his confidence grow with each pass. This culminated in a masterful six-play drive in which Cousins led the Falcons 70 yards in under a minute to take the lead and ultimately win the game. 

Cousins carried this momentum over into the next week against the defending Super Bowl-champion Kansas City on "Sunday Night Football." Even though Atlanta narrowly lost the matchup, you could argue Cousins outplayed Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. 

Following that Week 3 loss, the Falcons have gone 4-1, with every win coming against NFC South opponents. The driving force behind every win has been without question Cousins. 

Cousins currently ranks third in passing yards with 2,106, fifth in passing touchdowns with 14 and 10th in passer rating with a 61.2 mark. Cousins has also been named NFC Offensive Player of the Week twice, with his most recent coming on Sunday where he threw for 276 yards and four touchdowns while completing 79.3% of his passes in a win over Tampa Bay.