With Cousins in Town...Falcons Offense Looks Offensive

When fans think of the NFC contenders for 2024, they think of San Francisco, Detroit, Philadelphia and Dallas, or emergent teams like Green Bay. Draft Nation however believes there is another NFC team to pay attention to in September—the Atlanta Falcons.

The Atlanta Falcons have slowly pieced together a talented young offense over the past two or three drafts. Kyle Pitts is an explosive tight end who has yet to find his footing in the Falcons offense, but the potential is undoubtedly there. After a huge rookie season in 2021 when he hauled in 68 passes for 1,026 yards, Pitts has not been able to match his success again over the past two seasons. In 2021, veteran Matt Ryan was the quarterback, but the past two seasons Pitts has had to rely on a combination of Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder, or Taylor Heinicke to get him the ball. 

Since the end of last season the Falcons fired their head coach Arthur Smith and offensive coordinator Dave Ragone. Raheem Morris was hired as the new top dog and 37-year-old Zac Robinson was brought over from the Los Angeles Rams to take over as the offensive coordinator. Robinson brings with him an exciting pass-first offense that made the Rams wide receiver Puca Nacua a star in his rookie season, catching 105 passes for 1,486 yards. 

Atlanta knew these moves were a necessity but they will only work if quarterback Kirk Cousins is able to bounce back from his torn ACL that he suffered last season. Cousins was signed by the Falcons this off-season to a four-year, $180MM contract. He was masterful at taking the Minnesota Vikings offense to a higher level over the past six years, throwing for over 4,000 yards four times, and totaling 171 touchdown passes. If he can prove that he is at 100% physically, the 36-year-old will have a handful of playmakers at his disposal.

Aside from Pitts, Cousins will have one of the league’s brightest young running backs in Bijan Robinson. Robinson ran for 976 yards in his rookie season and was an integral part in the passing game, hauling in 58 passes. Backup running back Tyler Allgeier was no slouch either, running for 683 yards while helping to give Atlanta one of the best running back combos in the league.

At wide receiver, the Falcons have a young talent in the 23-year-old Drake London out of USC. He has over 1,700 yards combined over the past two seasons, playing with subpar quarterbacks at best. He has shined at times and paired with Pitts, he may be ready for a breakout season. Veteran wideout Darnell Mooney was signed from the Chicago Bears this off-season and adds some experience as a No. 2 receiver. 

Lastly, the Falcons return all five starters from the offensive line from last year and as a group they will be tasked to keep the 12-year veteran Cousins healthy in 2024. 

The Falcons surprised many fans and experts alike at the 2024 NFL draft when they selected quarterback Michael Penix at No. 8 when many draft pundits thought they would draft for their defense, which finished 20th against the run in 2023. However, the Falcons in the past couple of weeks have signed veteran safety Justin Simmons and ex-New England Patriots linebacker Matthew Judon to free agent deals. Atlanta’s defense now has Simmons matched up with Jessie Bates III to form an elite combination in the defensive backfield and Judon will help solidify a young linebacking corp with his play and leadership ability.

The NFC South is not a strong division and although many believe the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will win their fourth straight NFC South title, do not sleep on the Atlanta Falcons. If Kirk Cousins stays healthy and can get this offense to mesh, the Falcons will be a tough team to stop.