Kirk Cousins' debut for the Atlanta Falcons did not go as swimmingly as the veteran quarterback would've hoped. He completed only 16 of his 26 pass attempts for 155 yards and a touchdown with two interceptions in an 18-10 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1.
While Cousins received plenty of flak for his performance, retired NFL quarterback Chase Daniel believes the Falcons' underwhelming gameplan contributed heavily to his poor debut. He claimed that the lack of play-action calls made the Steelers' life easy on defense and hampered the veteran's ability to hurt them with his passing ability. In today's episode of The Athletic's Scoop City podcast, Daniel said:
"If you watch the game and you watch the film, they were in Pistol, which is Shotgun with the back behind you almost every single snap. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game called by a new offensive coordinator, Zac Robinson, like that in my entire 14 years," Daniel said [from 3:26 to 3:42].
He also explained why a play-action-centric gameplan would've yielded better offensive production from the Falcons and how the atmosphere contributed to a difficult outing for the home team.
"So usually, you’re under center. You're play-action; you're under center. Your run games and angles are better, and your line likes to be under center better. Plus, they were in the silent count at home because the Steelers travel so well like you don’t see that," Daniel said.
"So all the things, in my opinion, specifically just Kirk itself, didn’t show any push off, he’s not getting away from the line of scrimmage, he looked bad." [From 3:43 to 4:08]
The lack of play-action calls in Week 1 prompted speculation that Cousins hadn't fully healed from the season-ending Achilles injury he suffered last year. The theory was fueled further after videos from the Falcons' practice showcased that he could still be feeling the effects of the injury.
Kirk Cousins' Achilles injury: Is the QB not fully healthy?
In a clip from Atlanta's practice session, Cousins was seen doing reps under center. However, he wasn't planting his right foot on the turf before launching a pass, prompting some fans to ponder whether the quarterback was healthy.
Head coach Raheem Morris downplayed the speculation. During his media availability on Monday, he told reporters:
"I feel like Kirk is healthy. He's been healthy since he's been here."
While Atlanta remains adamant, questions about Cousins' health persist. However, they'd be quickly dismissed if the Falcons pulled off an upset win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2.
