In an exhilarating overtime spectacle during Thursday Night Football, Quarterback Kirk Cousins notched a franchise-leading 509 passing yards, leading the Atlanta Falcons to an astounding victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Following a last-second 52-yard field goal by Atlanta's kicker Younghoe Koo to tie the game and push it into overtime, Cousins went three for three on his passes, covering 69 yards. He connected with KhaDarel Hodge for a 45-yard touchdown – his fourth of the game – securing a thrilling victory.
The 36-year-old quarterback, who inked a whopping $180 million deal with Atlanta in March after leaving the Minnesota Vikings, surpassed the previous franchise record of 503 yards set by Matt Ryan against the Carolina Panthers in 2016. This impressive feat happened on the exact night Ryan was inducted into the Falcons' Ring of Honor.
Cousins also bettered his own career record of 460 yards, which he achieved with the Vikings in 2022, and matched his personal best of four touchdown passes in a game.
According to NFL Research, Cousins is now one of only two players to record over 500 passing yards and at least four touchdowns in a primetime game, joining Tom Brady in this exclusive club.
Reflecting on the game post-match, Cousins said, "What a night. I'm beat."
Incredibly, Atlanta has found themselves trailing in the final minute of the fourth quarter in all five of their games this season, but have managed to win three of them. The Falcons are thus the one and only team in NFL history to accomplish this feat at the start of the season.
"I'm proud of the way our team battled," Cousins said. "I'm proud of the resilience we showed, and our grit. That's what this league demands, and we showed our grit tonight. Pleased to have walked away with a win."
Both teams scored touchdowns on their opening drives, with Cousins opening things up with an 18-yard TD pass to Drake London, and Tampa Bay responding with Baker Mayfield's two-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans and a 53-yard field goal from kicker Chase McLaughlin.
Cousins then reclaimed the lead for Atlanta with a 24-yard touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney in the second quarter.
Mayfield had a solid game, throwing two more touchdowns before halftime, and McLaughlin added a late third-quarter field goal to give Tampa Bay a 27-20 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
With 13 minutes 18 seconds remaining, Mooney caught a pass for a 10-yard gain, shook off Tykee Smith and raced into the end zone to tie the game once more, before McLaughlin's third field goal put on three more points, making it 30-27 for Tampa Bay.
But with only 1 minute 14 seconds left, Cousins led Atlanta from their own 20-yard line, completing five passes to move to the Tampa Bay 29-yard line. With seconds left, Koo's field goal forced overtime, giving Cousins the chance to make history.
Cousins then found Hodge at the 40, who broke away, evaded a tackle in the secondary and sprinted into the end zone for the walkoff, dramatic winning touchdown.
The victory in overtime was a testament to Cousins' passion for the sport, as he continuously demonstrated his skill and resilience throughout the game. Despite facing numerous challenges, Atlanta's one and only team in NFL history managed to turn the tide and secure a thrilling win.
