By Mark Bacon
A victory turned last-minute defeat turned last-second comeback turned overtime despair. The paradox of quarterback Kirk Cousins’s game-saving greatness in the final 24 seconds of regulation and his interception washout in overtime on a play in which wide receiver Ryan Grant fell down running his route.
Shaking off a day long poor performance, Cousins rescued the Washington Redskins at the Georgia Dome on Sunday. His reward was the most bitter defeat of his 14-start NFL career. A 25-19 defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons.
Washington (2-3) deserved so much more. It played solid defense despite facing a potent passing game without starting cornerbacks Chris Culliver and DeAngelo Hall. It led for most of the game despite having to move the ball without their most potent receivers DeSean Jackson and Jordan Reed. Though injured and pitted against the 5-0 Falcons, Washington played the better game and looked like it would end the day with an above-.500 record for the first time in three years.
Instead, the focus will be on the 153 rushing yards Devonta Freeman gained, an inability to capitalize on turnovers and disappointment over not putting away the game despite chances the offense and defense were given to finish with a flurry.
They were so close to a signature victory over one of the NFL’s best teams. So close to a victory that would have made the city and country acknowledge their own improvement.
This game shouldn’t turn into the usual postmortem on Cousins’s ability as starting quarterback. But it will. Cousins has played well enough through five games to warrant patience. But few will give it to him now. His pick-six to end this game was complicated.
Cousins was on the brink of posting last-second rallies in consecutive victories. But even when he’s not entirely to blame, Cousins can’t avoid being the guy who throws killer interceptions.
On the last play of the game, he released a pass quickly before blitzing linebackers could sack him. Grant, the intended receiver, fell. The throw sailed wide toward the Atlanta sideline. Cornerback Robert Alford snagged his second interception of the game.
Alford collected himself before stepping out of bounds and sprinted 59 yards for the TD — and to the torment of a quarterback who had just made three excellent throws to extend the game.
At the end of regulation, after Freeman’s six-yard touchdown run gave Atlanta a 19-16 lead with 24 seconds remaining, Cousins hit tight end Derek Carrier for a 20-yard gain. Then he connected with Pierre Garçon for a 19-yard gain. Finally, he found rookie Jamison Crowder for a 7 yard gain. With three passes, Cousins drove Washington 46 yards in 19 seconds. It enabled Dustin Hopkins to kick a 52-yard field goal as time expired.
One week after Cousins helped his team beat Philadelphia on four-yard pass to Pierre Garçon with 26 seconds left, he was splendid in the clutch again.
And then he wasn’t.
On a day in which the Washington running game produced a season-worst 51 yards on 24 carries, it needed Cousins to be more accurate. Still, the Redskins were in position to win for most of the game, and in the few moments they weren’t, Cousins resuscitated them. Then he failed to capitalize and become Comeback Kirk.
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