X-factor for Sunday: Can Falcons offense build off strong showing vs. Saints?
FLOWERY BRANCH — With quarterback Kirk Cousins back at the controls, the Falcons offense was efficient in the team’s 24-10 win over the Saints last Sunday, which stopped the team’s five-game losing streak.
The unit will be the X-factor when the Falcons (4-7) face the Jets (2-9) at 1 p.m. Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Cousins operated under center, and the Falcons used more play-action passes after establishing the rushing attack.
“Maybe sometimes it’s just more, what have you done in the past?” Cousins said. “What are you more comfortable with? Not so much that there’s an actual strategic reason, but just that this is just what I’ve done in the past. There’s some of that.”
The Falcons have not ditched their pistol formation.
“I think there’s pros to both,” Cousins said. “So, you’ll kind of always see both and you’ll see the shotgun, because I think they all offer something different that can help.”
Cousins came into the league back before teams starting using the pistol formation.
“I remember it at Nevada with Colin Kaepernick,” Cousins said. “If that’s truly where it originated, I feel proud of my own football knowledge to be able to say that. But I remember Peyton Manning doing it in Denver with the Broncos.”
Next year, there may be some new offensive formation.
“Football is always evolving,” Cousins said. “It really is fascinating how much football changes year to year. … Whether it’s pistol or under center or shotgun or the next thing, it’s always going to evolve. It’s interesting to see who those people are that are coming up with the next great stuff.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
