Kirk Cousins' struggles persist in 3rd straight loss, leading the Falcons to make a quarterback decision.

Raheem Morris promptly addressed any controversy surrounding his quarterback position.

Kirk Cousins' struggles persist in 3rd straight loss, leading the Falcons to make a quarterback decision.
Kirk Cousins' struggles persist in 3rd straight loss, leading the Falcons to make a quarterback decision.

Despite their veteran quarterback's struggles, the Atlanta Falcons have not yet decided to give their first-round pick the starting job.

Raheem Morris demonstrated his trust in Kirk Cousins, despite his four-interception performance in the loss to the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, which left the Falcons with a 6-6 record.

Despite the team's third consecutive loss, the NFC South is still one of the weaker in the NFL, with the Falcons tied for first place with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kirk Cousins throws
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) passes against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)

Whether the Falcons should make a quarterback change has been a topic of discussion with a playoff spot in mind and only five games remaining in the regular season.

Morris put out that fire before it could get too wild.

"Morris stated in response to a question about Cousins being benched that he didn't think it would be the issue in their division, as Cousins had helped them reach a 6-6 record and first place. He emphasized that they needed to bounce back and win football games, and that Cousins was the best man for the job."

Despite being the Falcons' first-round pick, Michael Penix Jr. will remain Cousins' backup.

Kirk Cousins throws
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) throws a pass against the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis-Imagn Images)

Cousins has been struggling lately, throwing an interception in each of the previous two games and failing to throw a touchdown in each of the last three games.

"Morris stated that they would not make any excuses for the events that occurred today. He acknowledged that the guy who had been carrying them all season had done an exceptional job, and it was difficult to blame him for the mishap."

The signing of Russell Wilson to a four-year, $180 million deal with $100 million guaranteed by the Seattle Seahawks has led to the Falcons' selection of Penix at No. 8 overall, despite his impressive performance for the Washington Huskies.

He has played in some blowout losses during the regular season, completing three out of five passes for 38 yards.

Kirk Cousins drops back
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins (18) drops back to pass against the Los Angeles Chargers in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. (Brett Davis-Imagn Images)

This upcoming week, Cousins will return to the team he spent the last six seasons with and look to right the ship in the "revenge game" against his Minnesota Vikings, as he continues to learn from Penix.

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by Scott Thompson

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