Falcons QB Kirk Cousins compliments Philadelphia Eagles defense

Ben Brigandi

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Falcons QB Kirk Cousins compliments Philadelphia Eagles defense image

Kirk Cousins wouldn’t second-guess the Philadelphia Eagles. 

Not because he’s happy with his Atlanta Falcons’ 22-21 win Monday night that ended with a game-winning drive, but because he said he has a lot of respect for defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. 

He even called Fangio’s scheme “reasonably effective” despite throwing the game-winning score to Drake London with 34 seconds to play. 

Cousins appeared on “The Dan Patrick Show” Wednesday in which he wondered if perhaps the Eagles learned their lesson from when he completed a 41-yard touchdown pass to Darnell Mooney for a 15-10 lead before halftime. 

Patrick asked Cousins if he was surprised the Eagles didn’t blitz more given Cousins’ lack of mobility from surgery last season. 

“So, the touchdown to Darnell Mooney was a Cover Zero, an all-out blitz,” said Cousins. “So, when they did we had our biggest play. Maybe he learned his lesson from that. Also, on the second-half drive, they were in prevent coverage to keep us out of the end zone. They really did have a roof on the defense. We weren’t getting many explosive plays.”

See a fuller clip here: 

Cousins also wondered if maybe the Eagles might not have just tried a “tush push” on third down late, when Saquon Barkley dropped a short pass that set up a field goal for a 21-15 Eagles lead. 

“But it was a good play,” said Cousins. “He was in the flat, a safe throw. You catch it and potentially convert.”

Instead of a possible two-score lead, the Eagles suffered their first loss. 

The Barkley call wasn’t the only miss for Philly, as Nick Sirianni went for a fourth-down conversion instead of an early field goal that could have changed how the final minutes unfolded. 

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Ben Brigandi

Ben Brigandi Photo

Ben Brigandi is a lifelong professional in sports media, as a writer and editor. Career highlights include covering future pros in high school and even younger, from kicker Robbie Gould in high school to Jurickson Profar, Cody Bellinger, and others at the Little League World Series held in his neighborhood. Born and raised in central Pennsylvania, Ben graduated from Penn State with a degree in journalism and covered Nittany Lion games for nearly two decades after attending games as a kid growing up in Happy Valley. He’s seen the Eagles go from hated rivals to his boyhood favorite Washington Commanders to accepting their success as Dan Snyder ruined his fandom. One day, Ben dreams of again playing golf to a legit single-digit handicap, without either putting in the work or sinking pesky 3-foot putts.