Kirk Cousins is mired in one of the worst stretches of his career at just about the worst possible time.
He's headed back to Minnesota -- a place he called home for six years -- this Sunday, and brings with him an 0-6 TD-INT ratio over his last three games. As a result of Cousins' struggles, the Falcons have paid dearly, losing their last three games while scoring a combined total of 36 points over that span.
Atlanta's skid has opened the door for the Buccaneers to climb back into the NFC South race, increasing the pressure on the Falcons. If they're going to finish off this season by reaching the playoffs, they'll need their quarterback to break his slump, starting with a game in a stadium that was once filled with his supporters.
"It's kind of the challenge always in pro football to be able to get back up off the mat and get back going," Cousins said Wednesday, via The Associated Press.
In many such cases, a team might consider a quarterback change with a playoff berth very much on the line and a quarterback searching for answers. Not the Falcons, though. Head coach Raheem Morris has reiterated he believes in Cousins, telling reporters "he is built for this and he's ready to go," and expects the man Atlanta paid $180 million over four years in March to turn it around soon.
"He's done a great job with us, and I have no real qualms about him bouncing back and him being able to play the game the way it needs to be done," Morris said. "He's still an elite processor. He has the ability to make all the throws. He's shown that throughout the year."
Minnesota seems to agree. After all, if any franchise knows about Cousins' potential to produce, it's the one he led to two playoff appearances between 2018-2023.
When Cousins last suited up for the Vikings, he was playing some of the best football of his career, so much that he was building an NFL MVP case when an Achilles tear ended his season with the second half of the campaign left to play. Since then, he's changed teams and cities, signed a new deal, gotten familiar with an entirely new organization and is still adjusting to an offensive scheme that isn't quite the same as the one in which he thrived in Minnesota.
The Vikings won't be fooled by his recent struggles, though. They have too much evidence to suggest otherwise.
"I know the narrative is he had a tough game last week, but he's played some good football," Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores said. "I think the people in this building know what Kirk can do. He's a very, very good quarterback."
Anybody who is familiar with Flores' style knows he'll send plenty of pressure after Cousins, which might play in the quarterback's favor. Another coach known for blitzing -- Tampa Bay's Todd Bowles -- watched Cousins carve up his Buccaneers, throwing for nearly 800 yards and eight total touchdowns in their two meetings this season.
"He's a bounce-back type of guy, as we all know," Flores said. "I'm expecting his best, the best version of Kirk, the best version of that offense. It's going to be a major challenge for us."
Cousins knows another challenge awaits him in Minneapolis: Vikings fans, whom Cousins expects to "make it as hostile as they can for us."
There will be little reminiscing on Sunday when Cousins returns to Minnesota, where the Vikings own a 10-2 record and are in a tight NFC North race as one of the NFL's best surprises in 2024.
He'll have to find the strength within himself to overcome the adversity, get back on the right track and lead Atlanta to victory.
"Have to just believe that tough times don't last, tough people do," Cousins said. "You have to keep pushing."
