Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins predicted a ‘dog fight’ against the New York Jets, and he was right. The Jets tied the game at 24-24 with 1:53 left in the game, despite being dominated in virtually every category.
The Falcons actually got the ball twice in the final two minutes, but couldn’t move it. After a good punt return gave the Jets the ball at their own 43, they were able to move the ball to set up the game winning 56-yard field goal by Nick Folk.
Here are our takeaways from the Falcons’ 27-24 loss to the New York Jets
Efficient Kirk
Kirk Cousins is a limited quarterback at this stage of his career, and he was playing with limited weapons at receiver that included Darnell Mooney, David Sills V, and practice squad elevation Devin Thompkins.
He leaned on Bijan Robinson and a solid defense to attack a poor Jets team. While the big play never materialized downfield, he also didn’t make the crucial mistake. The problem is, if the Falcons have to pass, they can’t.
Cousins finished 21/33 for 234 yards and a touchdown.
He won’t be worth the $57 million cap hit he’ll incur in 2026, but if he keeps playing like this, he’ll at least leave on better teams with the Falcons fan base.
Lean on Robinson
There seems to be a misconception that Bijan Robinson is underused. Coming into Sunday’s game, Robinson was fifth in the NFL at 20.1 touches per game. He trailed Christian McCaffrey, Bucky Irving, Jonathan Taylor, and James Cook, and none of the other four backs has a backup as good as Tyler Allgeier.
Maybe Sunday’s effort it what people had in mind. Robinson had 23 carries and 5 receptions for a total of 28 touches. McCaffrey leads the NFL by more than two touches per game at 24.8.
Third Down Trouble Continues
Atlanta’s difficulties converting third down don’t seem to be team-dependent. They can’t convert no matter who they’re playing. The Falcons punted on their first four possessions after going 0-4 on third down.
The Falcons converted their first third-down conversion on a short pass to Kyle Pitts on third and four with 75 seconds left in the first half. Atlanta went on to score a touchdown to tie the game at 7-7 going into halftime.
They finished the day 4/12, right on their season average of 33%, 29th in the NFL.
Definition of Insanity
Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is a definition of insanity, according to author Rita Mae Brown. This applies to Falcons special teams coach Marquice Williams’ insistence on running Jamal Agnew out as a return man. Another gaffe, this time a muffed punt at the six-yard line, set up the first touchdown of the game.
It was his fourth fumble of the season on 41 returns.
It’s not like he’s making up for it with explosive returns. He’s 28th in the NFL in yards per return on kickoffs at 25.0, and he hasn’t had enough punt returns to even qualify.
The Falcons talked him up in the preseason, which he missed with an injury, like he was a game-changer. They were right, just not how they had hoped.
Yeah, It’s the Special Teams Again
This space may sound like a broken record when it comes to special teams, but the special teams continue to be atrocious. After taking the lead 17-14, Williams’ unit gave up an 83-yard kickoff return to Isaiah Williams.
The Falcons’ defense stood tall, helped by a John Metchie dropped pass, and only gave up a field goal. That’s 10 points that will count against defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich’s defense that are directly attributable to Williams’ not-so-special teams.
Kyle Pitts Improving His Stock
It’s tough to see Kyle Pitts in an Atlanta Falcons uniform next season. He’ll likely get a contract in free agency in the neighborhood of three years and $36 million, and the Falcons have too many other holes to fill to drop eight figures on a tight end.
But that doesn’t mean they have to walk away empty-handed. The bigger the contract he gets in free agency, the more likely it is that the Falcons will get a comp pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Pitts finished the game with 7 catches for 82 yards.
Youth is Served
If you’re going to play a lot of rookies, you’re going to have to live with the rookie mistakes as well as the big plays, especially when you’re the last man back on defense.
Safety Xavier Watts has been victimized on post routes a couple of times this season as he cheats underneath. This happened again in the third quarter on Adonai Mitchell’s 52-yard touchdown reception that tied the game at 14.
On the next drive, Watts broke up a pass over the middle with a hard hit that forced a field goal attempt the Jets eventually missed.
In the fourth quarter, Taylor tried a similar pass to Mitchell, and Watts was in position to break up the pass.
Experience will help fix the big plays against, while the big plays for the Falcons become more frequent. It’s a tradeoff the Falcons are happy to make with one of their star rookies.
What’s Next?
After facing back-to-back 2-9 teams, the competition is about to get a little stiffer. The Falcons host the 8-3 Seahawks at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.