• One of the best when the game is on the line: Kirk Cousins ​​has only made one turnover-worthy play all year with two minutes or less left in the fourth quarter.

• Close, late games have allowed Cousins ​​to thrive: In a game where the score difference is three points or less and there are no more than 60 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Cousins’ 60.3 PFF grade ranks second in the NFL.

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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Like the Atlanta Falcons As they stared down a 30-27 deficit with 1:21 left in their fifth game of the 2024 season, the pressure was palpable. Atlanta’s defense had gotten the stop it needed against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ foul, but no timeouts remained. No room for error, quarterback Kirk cousins and the company should yet make a notable comeback in a high-octane divisional game.

Cousins ​​grabbed his pixie dust and did just that, leading Atlanta 46 yards down the field to the kicker Younghoe Koo‘s reach to solve things. And in overtime, the magic never stopped as the quarterback completed three consecutive passes, including a 45-yard strike to KhaDarel Hodge who won the match entirely.

Entering his first season in Atlanta, Cousins ​​has already developed a penchant for late-game heroics. He has led three game-winning drives (two in primetime, no less) after not posting a single post last year. Frankly, all three are integral in changing the narrative of Falcons football from a team that gives up late leads to a team that puts them on the line. And as PFF data shows, there haven’t been many better quarterbacks in those fingernail-biting close-game situations this year than Cousins.

With 1 minute or less left in a matchup, the Falcons’ new $180 million man was excellent, especially compared to his peers. In a game where the score difference is three points or less and there are no more than 60 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Cousins’ 60.3 PFF grade ranks second in the NFL. Likewise, his pass of 66.0 becomes fourth when the margin on the scoreboard widens to seven points with no more than one minute remaining. These numbers may seem low by conventional PFF grading standards, but they are actually very good considering the difficulty of the context.

Kirk Cousins’ 2024 PFF Game Grades

Cousins’ superhuman act doesn’t just manifest itself during the final minute of a match. The 36-year-old was also great when the clock struck the warning of the last two minutes: Cousins’ good numbers in a seven-point game or a three-point game and the little time left are both in the top 11 of all. quarterbacks.

Particularly intriguing is that you can almost see the cape developing on Cousins ​​as the fourth quarter continues. The signal caller hasn’t been great in the final frame of games – his PFF grade of 59.4 is just a 19e – but he ranks ninth among all quarterbacks if he succeeds in two minutes, and then fifth with just one minute left.

Perhaps most impressively, Cousins ​​has committed just one turnover-worthy play all year with two minutes left in the fourth quarter, and none with just one minute left. Unlike most of his colleagues, the Falcons star has had significantly more opportunities to make a mistake under these circumstances. Cousins’ 27 dropbacks within two minutes of the fourth quarter are the most in the NFL by nine, and his 18 within one minute remaining are double that of the second-place finisher.

Against the Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, Cousins ​​was exceptional all evening, especially as the spotlight grew. In the fourth quarter, Cousins ​​completed 11 of his 17 attempts for 101 yards and a touchdown, throwing a big throw but committing a turnover-worthy play (an interception on fourth-and-15 on a play that was already improbable). converted). His performance in the fourth quarter and overtime culminated in a passing grade of 83.5, Cousins’ highest grade in his new uniform and best since he tore his Achilles tendon last season.

It hasn’t all been perfect for the Falcons’ fledgling offense this season, which has struggled to get enough reps from its key playmakers and find a steady rhythm. But what has worked fairly consistently is Cousins ​​thriving in the toughest moments of a game – a very encouraging sign for a playoff hopeful team that should only get better throughout the year.