The narrative that Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins chokes in prime-time matchups has followed him throughout his entire NFL career. While it has died down considerably recently, it used to be one of the main topics of conversation nationally about Cousins and his game.
This begs the question: Do teams led by Cousins actually struggle in the national spotlight? How has Cousins fared individually under the bright lights? Let’s break down the numbers.
Kirk Cousins’ Prime-Time Win-Loss Record Is Ugly
Yes, Cousins’ teams have struggled in prime-time games when he’s under center. His teams have a 14-21 record in these games when he’s been the starter.
Cousins has long been described as a solid player who falls short of greatness, with his critics doubting he’ll ever be able to join the elite ranks. The “unclutch” label has stuck to the Falcons quarterback, and every prime-time defeat only reinforces it.
To rewrite this story, Cousins needs to deliver wins in prime time, especially against top-tier NFL teams.
Early in this season, he’s off to a great start. He led the Falcons to a comeback win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 2 and a come-from-behind overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football in Week 5, which certainly helped his case. However, Cousins and Co. did lose to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday Night Football in Week 3.
Cousins’ Stat Line in Prime-Time Games Is Better Than His Record
Evaluating a quarterback based solely on wins and losses is often unfair, and Cousins’ prime-time record highlights this. Among the 64 quarterbacks who have attempted over 500 passes in prime-time games since the merger, Cousins ranked 12th in passer rating entering this season.
The only active players with a higher rating entering this season were Aaron Rodgers, Josh Allen, Russell Wilson, Patrick Mahomes, and Dak Prescott.
In Cousins’ first 30 prime-time starts, he posted a completion rate of 66.8%, placing him fourth behind Drew Brees, Allen, and Rodgers. For his career, his numbers in prime-time games are 8,864 passing yards, 60 touchdowns, and 29 interceptions.
Cousins is now 4-10 on Monday Night Football prime-time games. His MNF splits are 3,494 passing yards with 21 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.
When focusing specifically on Thursday Night Football, Cousins’ numbers remain similar to his overall prime-time stats. Despite completing 67.0% of his passes, Cousins has a touchdown-to-interception ratio just above 1-to-1. In nine Thursday night starts, he has thrown 18 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Only four quarterbacks have thrown at least 12 interceptions on TNF: Brees, Cousins, Jay Cutler, and Matt Ryan.
In Week 2 of 2023 against the Eagles, Cousins had one of his best prime-time performances. He went 31 of 43 for 364 yards and threw four touchdowns, spreading the ball to seven different Vikings receivers against a defense that was in the Super Bowl the previous season.
In Week 5 of 2024 against the Bucs, Cousins shut up his critics by throwing for 509 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. He led the Falcons to a come-from-behind overtime win, and put up huge stats in the process. This was just the 27th 500-yard passing game in NFL history, and his 509 yards tied for 15th-most in a single game all-time.
A perfect celebration in the locker room for the @AtlantaFalcons! pic.twitter.com/cdQ8ijkXir
— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2024
How has Cousins played in the postseason when the pressure ramps up and all eyes are on him? Across four playoff starts, he’s recorded 1,016 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception, with a 69% completion percentage. His teams are 1-3 in playoff games he’s started.
While the narrative has died down a bit in recent years, it remains to be seen if Cousins can escape it for good.