In the days that followed his decision to sign a four-year, $180 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, quarterback Kirk Cousins entered a conversation with a retired signal caller.
"Unsolicited, he said, 'Kirk, when I was in free agency and I was looking where to go, part of what I thought about was the city you go to if you win, what would that be like in that city?'" Cousins recalled. "And he said, 'I look at you in Atlanta, and I say, that could be really fun if you win.
"'That could be a really special place to win. You’ve got to be excited about that.'"
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Nearly eight months later, Cousins has guided the Falcons to five wins in their last six games. Atlanta is 6-3 and sits atop the NFC South by two games.
Twice named NFC Offensive Player of the Week, Cousins has overcome a slow start to be amongst the NFL's most efficient passers. He ranks No. 7 league-wide with 258.7 passing yards per game and No. 4 with 17 passing touchdowns while connecting on 69.2% of his attempts.
And that, by all accounts, is exactly who Falcons coach Raheem Morris thought Cousins would be.
"He's poised," Morris said. "He's able to get the ball around and spread around. He can do all the things that we described when we first met going way back to the [NFL] Combine, talking about what we were looking for, what we had to go get."
When Morris spoke in February at the Combine, he noted he had his job because the Falcons lacked quarterback play. Starting signal callers Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke were dubbed "deficient" by owner Arthur Blank in January.
Morris said this week it wasn't a shot at either player. Still, Morris knew the Falcons needed better aerial distribution to maximize their trio of first-round weapons in tight end Kyle Pitts, receiver Drake London and running back Bijan Robinson. Atlanta later added free agent receiver Darnell Mooney to its weaponry.
The Falcons have found better offensive balance as a result. They've rushed for at least 100 yards in each of the past four games, and in a Week 9 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Morris said Atlanta forced Dallas's defense to aggressively commit to stopping the run.
The Cowboys' secondary opened up. Cousins capitalized, going 19-of-24 for 222 yards and three touchdowns. In years past, Atlanta's offensive identity centered around running the ball. This year, the Falcons feel they can beat teams in a variety of ways.
"When you open up things for us on the back end, it can get ugly for you," Morris said. "I love the way Kirk is able to see the whole process, go through it and be able to get the ball where he needs to get it to."
How much do the Falcons trust Cousins? Enough to consistently go for it on 4th and manageable situations. Atlanta ranks No. 10 league-wide in fourth down attempts with 15, and has gone 6-for-6 in such situations over the past three games.
Morris said some of those aggressive decisions stem from having Cousins, because the Falcons know what they'll get from an execution standpoint.
That sentiment extends to the offensive line, which Morris noted has been outstanding at providing strong pockets for Cousins.
Against Dallas, Cousins hit receiver Ray-Ray McCloud for a touchdown on a play where McCloud wasn't expected to be part of the progression -- but due to the time given to Cousins, he worked his way to McCloud, who hauled in his first score as a Falcon.
Cousins is known as a progression passer, someone who is able to click through reads and distribute the ball to places it may not be originally designed to go.
Without time to scan the defense, Cousins loses effectiveness. The Falcons' offensive line understands that -- and has risen to the occasion.
"Kirk does such a great job communicating with us," All-Pro right guard Chris Lindstrom said. "We knew our assignment and just really tried to strain, and we know how good those guys are. So, if we're able to give Kirk and those guys time, they're going to get open and make an explosive play."
Communication is a calling card for Cousins as much off the field as on it. His leadership has been oft lauded, burning through any questions about his ability to connect with a different generation and younger crop of playmakers.
When the Falcons need someone to pick them up, the 36-year-old Cousins routinely provides a jolt.
"He makes sure the whole team feels him," McCloud said. "That’s the good thing about it man, having so much around you, just being able to pick up off of and just grind with because you can’t do it by yourself."
Between his precise passing and veteran leadership, Cousins has elevated the Falcons to a record they haven't seen since their NFC Championship-winning 2016 season.
Yet Cousins is still showing more.
In a Week 8 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cousins had a 13-yard run, his longest since New Years Day 2023. His mobility is better than the Falcons thought, Morris said.
But for the most part, defenses know how to try to stop Cousins: generate pressure. The Cowboys sacked Cousins twice and hit him four times, but he still picked them apart from the pocket.
"He's very difficult," Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs said. "Veteran in the league -- he's seen all the looks. He's going to make all the checks. You can't give him a clean pocket. You have to make sure he moves his feet. If he has clean feet, he is going to be pretty efficient."
Morris thought Cousins played his cleanest game of the season against Tampa Bay. He followed with another near-unblemished performance vs. the Cowboys.
Atlanta's offense has subsequently flourished. It ranks eighth in yards (364.8 yards per game) and 12th in scoring (24.6 points per game) while thrice eclipsing 30 points, a mark it failed to hit last season.
Now, the Falcons are trending toward their first playoff appearance in six years. Their receivers, with London leading newcomers Mooney and McCloud, have covered 93% of the room's production from last season. Pitts has matched his career high in touchdowns with three. Robinson has 935 scrimmage yards through nine games, good for fourth in the NFL.
Once littered with undelivered promise, Atlanta's offense is now the driving force behind the franchise's best season in the 2020s -- and Cousins has his hands firmly planted on the wheel.
"He's just a playmaker," Morris said. "He's been able to go out there each week and get better and better. I'm prouder of his leadership he's been able to show throughout the whole process. Whether it's been in his quarterback room or spread throughout the team, I think it's just been awesome.”
