Kirk Cousins made history on the night the Atlanta Falcons honored one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Matt Ryan.
Cousins broke Ryan’s previous team record for passing yards in a game in the Falcons’ 36-30 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. The 13-year veteran was extremely sharp throughout the game, connecting with Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Kyle Pitts early and often, dominating Atlanta’s offense.
Here’s a breakdown of Cousins’ career-best performance and how it ranks among the top passing performances in NFL history.
Kirk Cousins stats of the day
In Atlanta’s come-from-behind victory over Tampa Bay, Cousins completed 42 of 58 passes (72.4 percent) for 509 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception. His 500-yard passing game was the 25th in NFL history and the 22nd quarterback to accomplish this feat.
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Ryan was one of an exclusive group of 22 quarterbacks to record a 500-yard game. During the 2016 NFL season, he had 503 passing yards in the Falcons’ 48-33 victory over the Carolina Panthers. Ryan went on to win MVP honors during that campaign and led the Falcons to the Super Bowl.
It’s too early to say Cousins’ departure will have a similar impact on Atlanta’s franchise. Still, Falcons fans should feel good about his sharpness throughout the night.
Cousins put the ball in tight spots early and often, as shown by Mooney’s first touchdown of the game.
The veteran quarterback also used his play-action talents to manipulate Tampa Bay’s undermanned secondary, creating space in the middle of the field for Rondon and Pitts.
Cousins also wasn’t afraid to spread the ball around. Seven different players caught at least two passes during the game, and five different players recorded at least 66 yards.
So while London (154 yards) and Darnell Mooney (105 yards) played the biggest roles in Cousins’ record-setting day, it was really a collective effort from the quarterback and his receiving corps.
Kirk Cousins’ game-winning drive
The Falcons’ come-from-behind victory marked the third time this season that Cousins hit the game-winning shot in the fourth quarter or overtime. That’s the most in the NFL, but it’s worth noting that Cousins is one of only two quarterbacks to have played in the Week 5 game thus far.
Cousins currently has a whopping 31 game-winning drives in his career. This puts him tied for 20th in NFL history with Drew Bledsoe.
And only four active quarterbacks have a better record than Cousins. They are:
Matthew Stafford (45) Russell Wilson (39) Derek Carr (34) Aaron Rodgers (32)
NFL 500 yard passing game
Cousins’ 509-yard performance broke the Falcons’ record, but it wasn’t enough to break the NFL record. It belongs to Norm Van Brocklin, who ran for 554 yards in the 1951 game between the Los Angeles Rams and the New York Yankees.
Below is the complete list of 500 yard passers in the NFL.
Norm Van Brocklin, Los Angeles Rams: 554 yards (1951) Matt Schaub, Houston Texans: 527 yards (2012) Warren Moon, Houston Oilers: 527 yards (1990) Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals: 525 yards (2021) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers: 522 yards (2014) Boomer Esiason, Arizona Cardinals: 522 yards (1996) Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins: 521 yards ( 1988) Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: 520 yards (2012) Jared Goff, Los Angeles Rams: 517 yards (2019) Tom Brady, New England Patriots: 517 yards (2011) Derek Carr, Oakland Raiders: 513 yards (2016) Phil Simms, New York Giants: 513 yards (1985) Eli Manning, New York Giants: 510 yards (2012) Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints: 510 yards (2006) ) Kirk Cousins, Atlanta Falcons: 509 yards (2024) Vince Ferragamo, Los Angeles Rams: 509 yards (1982) Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers: 506 yards (2017) Tony Romo , Dallas Cowboys: 506 yards (2013) Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints: 505 yards (2015) YA Tittle, New York Giants: 505 yards (1962) Elvis Grabac, Kansas City Chiefs: 504 Yards (2000) Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons: 503 yards (2016) Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers: 503 yards (2015) Ben Rothsiberger, Pittsburgh Steelers: 503 yards (2009) Duck… Prescott, Dallas Cowboys: 502 yards (2020)
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