Kirk Cousins led a wild game-winning drive late on Monday night in Philadelphia. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Kirk Cousins got the job done on Monday night, and he left the Philadelphia Eagles stunned in the process.
Cousins mounted a quick 70-yard touchdown drive that lasted just 65 seconds to lift the Atlanta Falcons to a 22-21 win over the Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Cousins, after the Falcons fell down six points with just 1:39 left in the game after an Eagles field goal, marched the Falcons down the field and hit Drake London for a 7-yard touchdown.
That pushed the Falcons ahead and eventually gave them their first win of the season.
Hurts went 22-of-28 for 170 yards, a touchdown and an interception through the air, and he had another 85 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown on the ground for the Eagles. Saquon Barkley finished with 95 yards on 22 carries, and DeVonta Smith added 76 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. The Eagles had a chance to run out the clock on their last offensive drive, but had to settle for a field goal inside the two minute warning. That pushed them to just a six point lead and kept the door open for the Falcons.
Cousins went 20-of-29 for 241 yards and two touchdowns in the win, which marked his first with the Falcons after striking a deal with the franchise this past offseason. Bijan Robinson added 97 yards on 14 carries, and Darnell Mooney had 88 yards and a touchdown on three catches.
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Kirk Cousins stuns Eagles
Kirk Cousins came up with the clutch drive for a win when the Falcons needed it on Monday night. He's now won four of his last five Monday Night Football games.
More on the stunner at Lincoln Financial Field from Frank Schwab:
Kirk Cousins gets bashed for not being clutch, and being terrible in prime time. And there was no reason to believe, after almost 8 quarters of struggles to start the season, that it would happen Monday night. Then it did and the Falcons had a huge win. https://t.co/vTwmwu0ZkX
Well, Kirk Cousins just hit Darnell Mooney for back-to-back deep passes and the Falcons are suddenly in the red zone.
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Eagles kick field goal
The Eagles had a chance to run out the clock, but dropped a pass and had to settle for a field goal. They lead 21-15 now, but the Falcons will get the ball back with 1:39 left.
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Eagles get the turnover on downs
Bijan Robinson gets stuffed at the line on a 4th and 1 try, and the Eagles will take over. What a massive hit from Gardner-Johnson there that could very easily seal the win for the Eagles.
The Falcons hold a slight lead with 15 minutes left in this one in Philadelphia. The Eagles are looking at a 3rd and 4 from their own 36 when we come back.
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Touchdown, Falcons
After that fourth down conversion, Kirk Cousins just hit Darnell Mooney for a 42-yard touchdown. That was the longest play of the game so far by anyone. They went for the two point conversion, but it failed.
Falcons lead now 15-10 with 1:21 left in the third quarter.
Cousins to Mooney! @AtlantaFalcons have their first TD of the night
Kirk Cousins hit Kyle Pitts for an 8-yard gain, and then connected with McCloud for an 11-yard completion on 4th and 4 to keep their drive alive. That's a huge conversion for the Falcons there to get them across midfield.
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Eagles 10, Falcons 9
Jalen Hurts led the Eagles down the field immediately there, thanks to a few huge passes to Smith and Barkley, but their drive stalled out at the 6-yard line.
A good drive for the Falcons stalls out at the eight-yard line with Cousins sacked by Milton Williams for an eight-yard loss on 3rd-and-4. Atlanta will again have to kick a field goal.
Falcons are running the ball well to start the second half.
Tyler Allgeier gains 12 on his first carry of this drive, then follows it up with a four-yard run.
Falcons start from their 30-yard line after a touchback. First down, Cousins throws to Bijan Robinson for seven yards.
Robinson follows that up with a 19-yard run. He already has 96 yards on the ground.
Cousins passing well in the middle
Kirk Cousins hasn't thrown the ball to the outside much, but he's been effective in the middle of the field.
Cousins was much more effective over the middle in the first half, per @ESPNStatsInfo.
Inside the numbers: 6-of-7 for 74 yards Outside the numbers: 1-of-5 for 2 yards#Falcons
Jalen Hurts takes a knee to run the first-half clock out and the Eagles take a 7–6 lead into the locker room.
Ouch
Bijan Robinson looks lucky to have his head still attached after that facemask penalty on Brandon Graham. Graham really twisted Robinson around once he got a hold there.
Younghoe Koo kicks a 22-yard field goal to cut the Eagles' lead to 7–6 with six seconds left before halftime
On 3rd-and-goal from the four-yard line, Cousins throws the ball away. Atlanta will kick a field goal on fourth down.
Falcons use their third timeout after Robinson is tackled for a one-yard loss with 17 seconds remaining.
Brandon Graham gets called for a facemask penalty, twisting Bijan Robinson's head around. Half the distance to the goal moves the ball to the 3-yard line with 26 seconds left in the half.
Tyler Allgeier runs up the middle for a seven-yard gain. 1st-and-goal at the Philly 7, Falcons call timeout.
On 2nd-and-3, Robinson runs up the middle for 14 yards. Atlanta is at the Philly 17 with 51 seconds remaining.
Falcons are moving before halftime. Bjian Robinson gets a 15-yard run on 2nd-and-1. Then three plays later, Cousins and McCloud connect on an 18-yard pass and run.
But McCloud wipes that gain out with a personal foul penalty. Unnecessary roughness, 15 yards.
Atlanta is at the Philadelphia 38-yard line at the two-minute warning.
Falcons start their next drive from their 14-yard line after an illegal block penalty on the kick return. But Kirk Cousins hits Ray Ray McCloud for a 12-yard pass on 3rd-and-6.
Eagles take 7–3 lead
On 2nd-and-goal, Hurts finds DeVonta Smith in the back of the end zone for a touchdown.
3–0 Falcons after Younghoe Koo kicks a 39-yard field goal. Remember, the Eagles passed up a field goal and couldn't convert a fourth down on their second posse
After a timeout, Cousins is forced to scramble on 3rd-and-9 and salvages a one-yard rush out of the play. Falcons will kick a field goal for the first points of the game.
Following a 15-yard run by Tyler Allgeier, Kirk Cousins fumbles. Bijan Robinson recovers, but Falcons lose a yard.
ESPN replay shows Ray Ray McCloud was wide open for a deep pass on a corner route. But Kirk Cousins never saw him, focusing instead on Drake London. They connect on a 19-yard gain, but McCloud may have had a touchdown if Cousins looked his way.
Falcons finally stop Saquon Barkley, stopping him after a 1-yard gain.
Eagles gain five yards on a short pass to DeVonta Smith. But on third down, Atlanta's pass rush sends Hurts out of the pocket and he throws incomplete.
Cousins looks for Drake London on 3rd-and-4, but Quinyon Mitchell nearly intercepts the pass. But it was incomplete and Falcons punt.
On 2nd-and-8 from their own 11-yard line, Falcons get a first down on a 14-yard run by Robinson. Running backs are dominating the action through the first quarter.
Eagles do go for it on fourth down after calling a timeout. Hurts rolls right, but can't find anyone open. He throws incomplete, looking for Dallas Goedert. Falcons take over on downs.
On 3rd-and-4 from the Falcons' 9-yard line, Hurts rolls left but throws incomplete to Johnny Wilson in the back corner of the end zone.
Looks like the Eagles are going for it on fourth down.
So far, the Falcons can't stop Saquon Barkley and the Eagles' offensive line is opening big holes for him. His past two carries have gone for 21 yards.
Barkley is averaging 9.8 yards per carry so far.
Another nine-yard gain for Saquon Barkley. Giving him the ball is working well so far.
Jahan Dotson, starting at receiver with A.J. Brown out, catches his first pass for six yards and a Philadelphia first down.
Saquon Barkley's first carry goes for nine yards. He did not touch the ball on the Eagles' opening series.
Atlanta may want to stick with the run. Kirk Cousins throws incomplete on two of his three passes, with the one completion going for six yards. Falcons don't get the first down and punt.
The Falcons look like they want to establish the run. Their opening two plays were runs by Bijan Robinson, both going for seven yards.
