NE Atlanta News

ATLANTA — In a thrilling Thursday Night Football matchup, Kirk Cousins led the Atlanta Falcons to a dramatic 36-30 overtime victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The game took a pivotal turn when Cousins threw an interception late in the fourth quarter, but the Falcons' defense quickly forced a three-and-out, giving their offense another chance.

With no timeouts left and just over a minute remaining, Cousins orchestrated a drive that culminated in Younghoe Koo's 52-yard field goal, tying the game and sending it into overtime. Once there, Cousins connected with KhaDarel Hodge for a 45-yard touchdown pass to secure the win.

Cousins had an impressive night, completing 42 of 58 passes for 509 yards and four touchdowns. He set a new franchise record for single-game passing yards and became the first quarterback in the Super Bowl era to throw for over 250 yards both before and after halftime.

The performance came on the same night former Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan was inducted into the team's Ring of Honor. "Kirko's a dawg," said Darnell Mooney postgame as players celebrated one of their most exciting finishes this season.

Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson noted earlier in the week that execution had been lacking but saw improvement during this game. "It seems like we're just this close on a lot of things," he said.

Afterward, Bijan Robinson highlighted the effectiveness of their passing attack: "We're trying to be more consistent on offense... That pass-game was lethal."

Cousins expressed pride in his team's resilience during his postgame press conference. "What a night," he remarked. "I am exhausted. But the team fought and I am proud of the resiliency we showed." Despite acknowledging areas for improvement, he concluded with satisfaction: "But it's always a lot of fun to be able to win."