ATLANTA — — Kirk Cousins ​​certainly made all that money Thursday night.

The $180 million quarterback threw for a career-high 509 yards and four touchdowns, the latter of which was a 45-yard scoring pass to KhaDarel Hodge in overtime, giving the Atlanta Falcons an improbable 36-30 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“What a night,” Cousins ​​said. “I’m exhausted.”

After a wild fourth quarter that featured a blocked field goal, a fumble and an interception, Cousins ​​and the Falcons (3-2) got the ball back at their own 20 with 1:14 remaining in regulation and no timeouts, trailing 30-27. .

Cousins ​​completed five passes to push Atlanta to the Buccaneers 29, then rushed to the line for the ball with a second left. In all the confusion, the Falcons were called for a postponement of the game as they lined up for a tying field goal, but it cost them nothing.

Even with the five-yard penalty, Younghoe Koo hammered it home from 52 yards out to force overtime, a week after making a 58-yarder with two seconds left to beat the New Orleans Saints.

“I’m proud of the grit,” Cousins ​​said. “In this competition that is what is needed. We were gritty tonight.”

The Falcons won the coin toss in overtime and kept Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers (3-2) from getting their hands on the ball again.

Cousins ​​connected with Drake London on a pair of passes before throwing a short pass to Hodge, who broke a tackle at the 40, cut a hole in the secondary and raced untouched into the end zone to end the game.

The four TD passes tied Cousins’ career best, while his yardage through the air easily eclipsed his previous record of 460 with the Minnesota Vikings in 2022.

“The boys played hard,” coach Raheem Morris said. “They played until the end.”

After signing his big free agent deal with the Falcons, which included $100 million in guaranteed money, Cousins ​​got off to a slow start in Atlanta.

But he heard nothing but cheers one night when the Falcons inducted longtime starting quarterback Matt Ryan into their Ring of Honor. The 36-year-old Cousins ​​even belted out the rap hit “Swag Surfin” during the postgame party, firmly establishing his credentials in the ATL.

With Matty Ice cheering him on, Cousins ​​broke Ryan’s team record for passing yards in a game (503) with one of the most productive performances in NFL history. Only 14 quarterbacks have thrown for more yards in a game, led by Norm Van Brocklin’s mark of 554 yards that has stood since 1951.

“Excellent,” Morris said in a succinct but appropriate assessment of Cousins’ performance.

Mayfield threw three touchdown passes, including a pair to Mike Evans, and Chase McLaughlin scored three field goals. The last of them was a 53-yarder that put the Buccaneers ahead 30-27 with 10:23 remaining.

Mayfield felt like he was letting this one pass him by.

“All I care about is wins,” he said. “I have to find a way to finish that game offensively.”

The Falcons tied the score with a brave fourth-down call by Morris early in the fourth quarter.

After Tyler Allgeier was thrown for a two-yard loss on third-and-2, the Falcons didn’t even consider a field goal from the Bucs 12.

Atlanta got right back in line and Cousins ​​threw a pass to Darnell Mooney, who took the marker but wasn’t satisfied with just a first down. He shook off a tackler and fired into the end zone.