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Falcons burned by questionable call on ‘TNF’ after Kirk Cousins got grabbed by his face mask

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Renzo Pocholo Salao | Last updated Dec 11, 2025 11:28 PM ET

Atlanta Falcons fans were not happy with a call that went against Kirk Cousins in their Thursday night matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Cousins was facing 2nd-and-10 at the Buccaneers’ 31 with under five minutes left at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The veteran quarterback held onto the ball for a split second too long as he scanned the field for an open target.

Kirk Cousins flagged for intentional grounding but the refs don't flag Bucs for hitting Kirk in the facemask. pic.twitter.com/8YH3fV92hc
— Rate the Refs (@Rate_the_Refs) December 12, 2025

A Buccaneers linebacker broke through the offensive line just as Cousins attempted to throw. The defender ended up grabbing Cousins by the face mask as he went into his throwing motion. But it was Cousins who was flagged for intentional grounding as his pass sailed to an empty patch of grass to his right.

The Falcons were hit with a 10-yard penalty and had to punt after failing to convert on 3rd-and-20. The call came during a crucial juncture of the contest, as the Falcons trailed 20-14 midway through the second half.

Cousins was named the Falcons’ full-time starter in Week 12 in place of Michael Penix Jr., who is out for the season with a torn ACL suffered in Atlanta’s overtime loss in Week 11.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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