RandBall: In Atlanta, Falcons fans got a sour taste of Kirk Cousins at his worst

It was just 60 minutes of action in two different games. But you couldn’t watch Vikings vs. Giants and Steelers vs. Falcons without thinking the seeds for both outcomes were planted at the end of the 2022 Vikings season.

There were the Vikings, dismantling the hapless Giants 28-6. Defensive coordinator Brian Flores (and a lot of talented new players) made life miserable for QB Daniel Jones, less than two years after Jones had earned a lucrative contract extension in part because of his electric performance in a 31-24 playoff win over Ed Donatell’s far more passive (and less talented) crew.

Sam Darnold ran the offense explosively at times and efficiently at others, the two traits meshing most notably on a 99-yard touchdown drive that culminated with a fourth down TD dart to Justin Jefferson.

Gone was Kirk Cousins, the above-average but eternally frustrating former Vikings quarterback who infamously threw short of the sticks to end that playoff game two years ago. He was in Atlanta, making mistakes and throwing short of sticks again in putting up just 10 points during an alarming losing debut for the Falcons.

The juxtaposition was hammered home when Fox cut away quickly after the end of the Vikings’ breezy victory to show us Cousins throwing a short pass (inbounds) and then getting sacked to end Atlanta’s 18-10 loss to the Steelers, who won with backup QB Justin Fields and without the benefit of a touchdown.

Again, just one week — but one that had to make Vikings fans and decisionmakers quite pleased while conferring the opposite feelings down it Atlanta, as Patrick Reusse and I talked about on Monday’s Daily Delivery podcast.

Cousins’ first possession ended with a short field goal after a third-and-goal pass was completed and stopped well short of the end zone. His best drive came later in the first half, a 90-yard march that culminated in a TD pass that gave Atlanta a lead at halftime.

The Falcons would not score again for reasons all-too-familiar to Vikings fans: a botched snap led to a lost fumble. Cousins threw well short of the line to gain on two more third down completions that led to punts. He was intercepted late, his second of the game. And then the desperation drive fizzled quickly as plenty of Vikings fans looked on.

Even Cousins’ postgame assessment was familiar: “Certainly disappointed,” he said. “You always go out there with an expectation that you’re going to play at a high level, and we didn’t play up to our standards today.”

He looked like a 36-year-old QB who hasn’t played in nearly a year because of a major injury, which is to say that the Falcons can be hopeful that he is knocking off some rust but also should be fearful that he is on the downward slope of his career arc.

Cousins will outplay Darnold this season, possibly as soon as next week, and the comparisons between the two will fade as the season progresses (at least until Dec. 8, when the Vikings host the Falcons).

For now, the Vikings have to feel pretty good about the decisions that rose from the ashes of a disappointing playoff loss.

Here are four more things to know today: