ATLANTA— With 29 seconds left in Sunday’s game, Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins ​​targeted the cornerback he had selected all afternoon. And he got the match he was looking for.

Darnell Mooney immediately won the route, and with his wide receiver wide open along the sideline, Cousins ​​let it rip, forcing New Orleans cornerback Paulson Adebo to make a last-ditch effort to break up the pass.

Adebo forced the incompletion, but at a significant cost: He was flagged for a 30-yard pass interference penalty that set up Younghoe Koo’s 58-yard game-winning kick in New Orleans’ 26–24 loss to the Falcons.

Atlanta didn’t gain any more yards on the drive, but that didn’t matter. Adebo’s mistake put them in exactly the right place.

“When it was time, that’s where they wanted to go,” Saints coach Dennis Allen said. “They wanted to attack him there.”

For Adebo, the penalty was another frustrating moment in what is quickly becoming a confusing season. As a hands-on, physical cornerback, Adebo has always tried to strike a delicate balance between when – and when not – to be aggressive. But too often this season, Adebo’s aggressiveness has arguably gone too far in the wrong direction.

Adebo’s pass interference on Mooney was the sixth penalty the 25-year-old has faced in 2024 – three of which came against the Falcons. The other two flags on Adebo in Sunday’s game were also for pass interference, although in both cases Atlanta killed the penalties because the receivers made the catches anyway. In the first quarter, Cousins ​​hit Ray-Ray McCloud III for a 14-yard gain and later in the third quarter the quarterback connected with Mooney for a 36-yard catch.

“When they shout it, I have to be less aggressive,” Adebo said. “That’s all I’m focused on, just trying to play clean the whole game. It’s something I have to work on personally.”

But it’s not just the referees who are taking aim at Adebo’s aggressive nature. Quarterbacks are too.

According to Pro Football Focus, Adebo was targeted 13 times on Sunday. He gave up seven catches for 120 yards, the third-worst yardage of his career. The move came after Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott had similar success going after Adebo two weeks earlier. Although New Orleans won the game on a rout, Adebo gave up 116 yards on three catches.

Normally, Adebo has used his playing style to his advantage. What’s surprising about the 2021 third-rounder’s uneven start to this season is how enjoyed a career season just a year earlier. In 2023, Adebo finished with four interceptions and played at a Pro Bowl level when the Saints were without Marshon Lattimore for most of the season. His finish to last season seemed to put him well on his way into a contract year.

But that hasn’t been the case in four games in 2024.

To be fair, there are times when Adebo has responded to mistakes impressively. On Sunday, for example, he immediately picked off Cousins ​​after being called for pass interference on McCloud. The turnover was reminiscent of Adebo’s Week 2 interception of Prescott just a few plays after Adebo was whistled for defensiveness.

But Adebo would find no redemption in the final minute. The Falcons won the game despite their offense only gaining five yards on their winning drive. And even though Adebo recorded a pass breakup on that series on third-and-10 to force Atlanta to punt, the Falcons were within field goal range because of Adebo’s mistake.

“The way the ball was in the air, I knew I had to draw something,” Mooney said. “I was able to get Adebo to push me a little earlier than he wanted.”

That’s right: Mooney pushed Adebo to commit the punishment. The wide receiver said he had waved his hands earlier to force Adebo to respond. And so did Adebo, as he wasn’t looking at the ball.

“We let that slip,” Adebo said. “Personally, it should be better if the PI is called late in the game when you have a chance to win it. I’m just trying to find a way to wrap it up. So personally I know that playing clean late in the game is a big part for me.”