With rampant momentum and an OT win, Kirk Cousins ​​and Falcons might have something good going on after all

ATLANTA — Many fans began leaving Mercedes-Benz Stadium before Thursday night’s game ended, and really, who could blame them? The Falcons burned Atlanta numerous times, failing to capitalize on their promise and trampling on fans’ hopes.

So when Kirk Cousins ​​seemed to cap off what had been a stellar passing night against Tampa Bay by throwing a crushing interception with 1:52 remaining, well, some fans thought they knew exactly how this story was going to end.

But that’s the thing about football: every once in a while, that strange ball bounces strangely.

Atlanta pulled off two remarkable plays – a true last-second scramble to throw the ball and set up for a field goal to force overtime, and a walk-off touchdown to perhaps the most unlikely receiver on the roster – to claim an improbable 36-30. victory against Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

It’s one game in 17, a victory to be determined. But worth a little more, it feels like this could be one of those crucial wins that sets the stage for future success. The Falcons are now 3-2, leading the division with wins over the Buccaneers (3-2) and Saints (2-2). If Cousins ​​isn’t fully recovered from his ACL injury, well, he’s still good enough to throw for 509 yards and four touchdowns. And the team receives contributions up and down the roster – in the case of the final game, the emphasis is on “down.”

KhaDarel Hodge was not recruited by Prairie View A&M. He played for four teams in seven years. He never caught more than 14 passes in an entire period. season. Before Thursday, you could count the number of career touchdowns on one finger.

On the fourth play from scrimmage in overtime, Cousins ​​found Hodge on a short 5-yard stop route that, by all normal football expectations, should have ended in a quick tackle, setting up second-and-5 on the Tampa Bay 40.

Instead, Hodge curled inside and began a full sprint straight into the end zone. He evaded seven different Buccaneers and ran straight toward the “C” of the “FALCONS” painted in the west end zone of Mercedes-Benz Stadium. It was a remarkable and miraculous end to what had become yet another Falcon underperformance.

“When I crossed the finish line, I kind of passed out,” Hodge said later. “You can’t make this up. It’s like a movie.

His teammates swarmed Hodge, lifting him onto their shoulders. He threw “A’s” to the cheering crowd – two fingers down, thumb as the crossbar – as tears began to fill his eyes. Once back on the field, he hugged Falcons owner Arthur Blank and laughed throughout postgame interviews on the field and contemplative reflections in the locker room.

“You’re fighting every year for a spot on the team, a fourth or fifth receiver, and just to get out of the dirt, you have to wake up with that mindset,” Hodge said. “Whether it’s on special teams or on offense, you’ve got to have that mindset and not give up, because adversity is going to hit, and you’ve got to keep going, man.”

Cousins ​​guided the Falcons through this overtime campaign, and he was also the author of a frenetic campaign with no margin for error to force overtime. With no timeouts, Cousins ​​spent the better part of nine plays and 51 yards working on the sidelines. But with just 12 seconds left, Cousins ​​appeared to do the one thing a team with no timeouts simply can’t do in this situation: He threw up the middle, hitting Drake London for 12 yards. The Falcons raced to the line and Cousins ​​kicked the ball with one second left – enough time for kicker Younghoe Koo to score a game-tying field goal.

“Every week [Cousins has] “It was better,” Falcons head coach Raheem Morris said after the game, “whether it was the explosiveness, the execution, or just a rhythm and routine with him and Zac.” [Robinson, Falcons offensive coordinator] and our offensive personnel. I mean, it’s getting better and better.

These are the kind of motivations that age fans, players and coaches into dog years. But on this night, when this franchise needs to keep the momentum going, the Falcons will trade a few gray hairs for a necessary and exciting victory.

It’s still way too early in the season for Atlanta to start thinking about January games. Maybe the Falcons, who can celebrate this victory during a bye week, will come back to reality. Maybe they’ll lose a trap game to Carolina in Week 6, or fail to keep up with Seattle, or fall short in a Buccaneer rematch at Tampa Bay. Maybe they’ll return to the Same Old Falcons, doing just enough to spark hope but never enough to spark joy.

Then again, maybe everything Morris preaches is starting to take root. Maybe Cousins ​​is starting to feel comfortable on offense. Maybe the team is reducing the number of mindless potential game-killers from four or five times per game to one or two. Maybe all that talent Atlanta has stockpiled in the receiving corps and backfield is starting to blossom. Maybe, just maybe, this team is headed for victories that are more important than moral.

“I don’t want to call us a team of doom,” Morris said, wisely downplaying any euphoric statements after the victory. “There is only one Destiny Team each year. We’ll find out once we get there, hopefully.

Hey, more improbable things have happened. Like, say, an undrafted journeyman passing an entire team for a walk-off touchdown. You never know how football will bounce back.