NFL gameday guide: Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins problem, Patrick Mahomes’ new protector and James Cook’s impressive season

Quarterback pressure for the Atlanta Falcons, a new blindside protector for Patrick Mahomes in Kansas City, and Joe Burrow’s MVP-calibre season for the Cincinnati Bengals. We look ahead to NFL Sunday in Week 14 of the season…

Editor’s note…

The Kirk Cousins experiment is edging closer and closer towards some uncomfortable situations in Atlanta. The Minnesota Vikings will host the Falcons this weekend having been there; they know, they endured and they will be first to relate should things not work out.

Atlanta handed Cousins a four-year $180m contract during the offseason with the belief they may have finally overcome a herd of bridge quarterbacks to find a veteran capable of maximising their breadth of offensive weapons and launching a Championship assault.

Cousins and his point guard ability under center is a prominent debate such has become his reputation as one of the most polarising play-callers in the league. Can he strap a team to his back and win when it matters most? Can he take over a game single-handedly? Can he lead a team to a Super Bowl? The Vikings discovered he could not answer the latter, at least not with them, as they watched him depart earlier this year after six seasons in which they reached the playoffs just twice.

With Bijan Robinson patrolling the backfield as one of the NFL’s most explosive two-way running backs, and a pass-catching core of Kyle Pitts, Drake London and Darnell Mooney at their disposal, there was a sense Cousins could become the missing pilot piece to an offense that had been through Desmond Ridder, Taylor Heinicke and Marcus Mariota in the post-Matt Ryan era.

There were encouraging early signs of Cousins settling into life with the Falcons, as they opened the year 6-3 and seemingly in the process of taking control in the NFC South after two impressive wins over divisional rivals Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a Week Two triumph against a Philadelphia Eagles outfit still working things out.

The Falcons have since lost three straight against the New Orleans Saints, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers, across which Cousins has thrown for zero touchdowns, six interceptions and an average completion percentage of just 62.9 as part of an offense that has ranked 28th in EPA/play during that period. Cousins now leads the NFL with 13 interceptions, 11 of which have come in defeats.

He threw four picks in last Sunday’s 17-13 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, included a tame and telegraphed sideline throw easily picked off as an early Christmas present for Tarheeb Still, who ran it back for a third-quarter pick-six on fourth-and-five.

Mobility issues are marring his threat out of play-action and the Falcons are suffering as a result, while sign-posted picks are contributing to snowballing struggles.

“I don’t think that’s not going to be the issue around here,” said Falcons head coach Raheem Morris after being quizzed on whether Cousins would remain starter.

“That guy has carried us. That guy has got us to the point where we are 6-6 and in first place in the division. We’ve still got everything in front of us despite what happened. It’s up to us to bounce back and find a way to win football games. There isn’t a better man than [Cousins] to go do that for us.”

The NFL raised its eyebrows in shock when the Falcons drafted Michael Penix Jr with the eighth overall pick despite having already acquired Cousins earlier this year. Suddenly, you wonder if questions will be asked should Penix Jr not be given an opportunity before the end of the season.

And whenever things are not quite going right for the Falcons, it is worth reminding that they passed on the opportunity to try and acquire Lamar Jackson during the 2023 offseason.

What to watch in Week 14

Sunday, 6pm – Atlanta Falcons (6-6) @ Minnesota Vikings (10-2): If you were waiting for Sam Darnold and his Minnesota Vikings to drop off, keep waiting. Stumbles were to be anticipated, but the NFL’s resurgent quarterback remains in shape to lead the Vikings to the playoffs after reeling off five straight wins since back-to-back losses to the Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Rams.

Darnold has completed 63 of 97 passes for 811 yards and six touchdowns to no interceptions over the last three games in response to his three-interception game against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 10, reeling off back-to-back game-winning drives in the process. While Justin Jefferson remains his prized outlet, Jordan Addison has asserted himself among the best No 2 receivers in the NFL with 15 catches for 277 yards and two touchdowns in the last three weeks, including his 162-yard outing against the Chicago Bears.

The Falcons are, meanwhile, hoping Week 13 presented a long-awaited awakening for their pass rush as they sacked Justin Herbert a season-high five times. Atlanta are ranked 27th in pressure rate across the league having also managed a league-fewest 15 sacks. Matthew Judon arrived via a trade from the New England Patriots in August but has managed just 2.5 sacks, bettered only by Arnold Ebiketie on three. A stumbling offense would be easier to veil were Atlanta able to turn up the heat on opposing quarterbacks more regularly.

Sunday, 9.25pm – Buffalo Bills (10-2) @ Los Angeles Rams (6-6): Josh Allen MVP talk is bubbling as the Bills quarterback continues to torch and trample his way to the playoffs in the bid to end Buffalo’s long wait for a Super Bowl return. No quarterback in the NFL is playing better football than Allen, who just dismantled the San Francisco 49ers while throwing and rushing for touchdowns in the snow.

Alongside Allen, James Cook continues to serve as a defining cog to the Bills’ offense having rushed for 703 yards and 11 touchdowns so far this season, including 207 yards and four rushing scores over the past three weeks. With that, rookie Ray Davis is beginning to emerge as the ideal backfield partner to Cook after posting 63 yards and a touchdown against the Niners. The Bills always have the capacity to crush opponents on the ground if necessary, and this weekend meet a Rams defense allowing the fifth most rushing yards per game in the league.

The NFC West is anybody’s for the taking with the 49ers sitting bottom on 5-7 below the Rams and Arizona Cardinals – both 6-6 – and the Seattle Seahawks leading the way on 7-5. When in full flow on offense, the Rams look every bit capable of becoming a playoff problem behind Matthew Stafford and his crew of playmakers.

Stafford has thrown for 2,983 and 17 touchdowns to seven interceptions this season, with Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua accounting for 1,111 receiving yards and Kyren Williams rushing for 926 yards and 10 touchdowns. Rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, meanwhile, have 10.5 sacks between them alongside a combined 11 from Byron Young and Kobie Turner amid a youth-driven response to life without Aaron Donald.

Sunday Night Football, 1.20am – Los Angeles Chargers (8-4) @ Kansas City Chiefs (11-1): The Super Bowl champion Chiefs continue to flirt with danger after surviving in the final seconds against the Las Vegas Raiders on Black Friday thanks to a cruel penalty to reel off their 14th successive one-possession victory.

The win underlined more weaknesses for the Chiefs to try and address ahead of the playoffs, including an issue at left tackle as Wanya Morris allowed three sacks. DJ Humphries could provide a solution as he looks to make his first start having signed with the Chiefs in November following his release from the Cardinals after nine seasons in March.

Humphries has been recovering from a torn ACL suffered last season, but could now be tossed into the fold as a potentially-defining contributor while protecting the blindside of Patrick Mahomes. It will also be the second game back for Isiah Pacheco after he returned to the backfield from a broken leg in last weekend’s win, supporting Kareem Hunt with seven carries for 44 yards.

A Chiefs offense still seeking to discover some consistent efficiency ahead of the postseason will run into a Chargers defense ranked first in scoring after allowing fewer than 20 points in four of their last six games, five of which have ended in victory. Jim Harbaugh’s side are also ranked sixth in sacks with 36 on the year, including seven from Tuli Tuipulotu despite the Chargers having just the seventh-highest pressure rate.

Justin Herbert and his offense were largely stifled against the Falcons in Week 13, though it did play stage to another 100-yard outing for rookie wideout Ladd McConkey, who leads the team with 58 catches for 815 yards and four touchdowns on the outside.

Monday Night Football, 1.15am – Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) @ Dallas Cowboys (5-7): With the playoffs seemingly out of sight, the Cowboys are playing for answers and solutions in view of a positive entry into both the offseason and a 2025 campaign where they will again be burdened by an unwavering pressure to compete with the NFL’s best.

Among the emerging positives in recent weeks has been the production of Rico Dowdle, the 2020 undrafted running back having just posted 112 rushing yards and a touchdown against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving following his 86 yards on the ground against Washington. The Cowboys’ ground game has been non-existent for much of the season, but in Dowdle they have found a spark with which to make life easier for back-up quarterback Cooper Rush. Dallas fans, meanwhile, continue their wait for KaVontae Turpin to become a more prominent feature to the Cowboys’ offense, the win over the Giants hinting at a potentially expanded role as he made four catches for 53 yards.

And while the Cincinnati Bengals’ campaign might also seemingly be over, Joe Burrow continues to prove why he is among the NFL’s premium quarterbacks and capable of taking down the league’s best. He has thrown for a league-high 3,337 yards and 30 touchdowns to just five interceptions this season, while Ja’Marr Chase leads all receivers with 1,142 yards and 13 touchdowns through the air. With more wins to his name, Burrow would be alongside Allen and Lamar Jackson as MVP favourites.

Around the league

Houston Texans linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair received a three-game suspension for his violent hit on Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who will miss the rest of the season as he undergoes shoulder surgery.
49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will miss the remainder of the season after suffering a posterior cruciate ligament injury to his right knee against the Bills; McCaffrey missed the first half of the season with an Achilles issue.
The Baltimore Ravens suspended wide receiver Diontae Johnson for one game this week after refusing to enter Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith is expected to return to the line-up against the Carolina Panthers this weekend after missing the last two games with a hamstring injury.
Nine-time Pro Bowl Cowboys offensive guard Zack Martin is set to undergo season-ending ankle surgery.

Who said what?

Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa on why he takes responsibility for Miami’s losing record after his concussion: “Nobody else will say it but me, and I feel like this has a lot to do with myself, obviously putting myself in harm’s way in the second game, going down, basically leaving my guys out to dry. That’s what I would say. Anyone can have an opinion about it’s football, it’s this, it’s that, but I do take that to heart as well, so I don’t want to do that to my guys again.”

Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores on Kirk Cousins: “He’s a bounce-back type of guy, as we all know. 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.”

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan on Bears QB Caleb Williams: “As talented as there is. The stuff that you saw in college, you can see in the NFL. As good of a thrower as there is, born to play the position, got the athletic ability to do whatever, he’s got the speed to do whatever. He’s gotten a lot of playing time, he’s getting better as this year goes.”

Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes on LT DJ Humphries: “You see how talented he is. The physical gifts are there. It’s been cool to watch him interact with other guys, too. You can tell he’s smart [and] he’s willing to teach guys – which is big in that room. We’ve got a lot of young guys there, so I’ve been very impressed, and I’m excited for him to get more and more work with more and more practice – and hopefully, he’ll be ready to go as soon as possible.”

Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce on TE Brock Bowers: “This guy is different. It’s different, because when you get matched up on the No 1 corner, when you’re getting double-teamed throughout the field, and they know we’re going to throw him the ball, and we’re going to keep throwing him the ball, and he’s winning those match-ups. It’s hard.”

The stats

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes needs three touchdown passes to tie Dan Marino for the second-most by a player in his first eight seasons in NFL history
Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert currently has 19,774 career passing yards, and is closing in one becoming the second player ever to reach 20,000 passing yards in his first five seasons in NFL history, behind Peyton Manning
Justin Jefferson needs 63 receiving yards on Sunday to surpass Torry Holt as the third-fastest player to reach 7,000 yards
Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye leads all quarterbacks in rushing yards (335) and scrambles (33) since Week 6
Rams outside linebacker Byron Young is the only player in the NFL to force at least five turnovers via pressure this season, with Jared Verse tied for third with three forced via pressure
Lions receiver Amon-Ra St Brown is nine catches away from becoming the third player ever to reach 400 receptions in their first four seasons behind Michael Thomas and Jarvis Landry

Essential Reading

Caviar and kicking: Ireland’s next NFL hope heads to Boston

The NFL’s $1.2m bargain that could reach the Super Bowl

Watch the Atlanta Falcons against the Minnesota Vikings from 6pm Sunday live on Sky Sports NFL, followed by the Buffalo Bills against the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers against the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday Night Football. Stream with NOW.