FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Kirk Cousins is coming off one of his worst statistical performances as a starting quarterback in this league. He hasn't thrown a touchdown pass in three games. He tossed six interceptions during that same time frame. He has a No. 8 overall draft pick as his backup. The Falcons are 1-6 when Cousins has a sub-90 passer rating, but 5-0 when he has a passer rating of 90 or higher.
These are all the facts of the matter.
But it's also fact that every person within the organization who has been asked about Cousins this week has said the same thing: They believe in him, and in his ability to bounce back.
"Kirk's ready to go," head coach Raheem Morris said Wednesday. "Obviously, a tough game and all those type of things, but he's been through a lot in his career, having tough games. Not necessarily as tough as that one, probably one other like that, but realistically, he was built for this and he's ready to go."
Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson: "He's played a lot of football. He's been through a lot of highs and lows, just like all these guys who've played this long in the NFL. You don't want those games to happen, you know, as an individual effort. But Kirk's going to keep swinging. He's going to keep shooting, and he's just going to get back at it and get back to work, which is exactly what he's done."
Even Cousins' understudy expressed similar sentiments.
"He's been in so many different positions throughout his career in football that at the end of the day, he knows that wasn't him and he knows that he can be better — and he's gonna be better," Michael Penix Jr. said. "That's what this whole team believes. We all believe in him."
There's a theme to everything everyone is saying, right? You see it, don't you?
Cousins' history is the reason behind the confidence his teammates and coaches have in him. It's Cousins' own journey that helps him feel that same confidence, himself.
At every turn of his career, Cousins has had to bounce back from something.
When he broke his ankle as a junior in high school, he thought the opportunity to play football in college was gone. When he was a third-string quarterback at Michigan State, he thought his career would end there. When he was a fourth-round pick by the then-Washington Redskins as part of the same draft class that included Heisman Trophy winner and No. 2 overall pick Robert Griffin III, Cousins thought his fledgling pro career had reached "a dead end" already.
In his third year in the league, Cousins was benched in Week 7.
In his fourth year in the league, he was back as the starter for Washington but had thrown just as many interceptions as touchdowns through the first six games of the 2015 season. It was pretty clear, Cousins recalled, that if Washington didn't win the next game, Cousins would likely be benched "for a long time."
And that's the direction the story seemed like it was bound to go.
The Redskins found themselves down 24-0 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second quarter, but the staff hung with Cousins. What transpired has since gone down in team history. Cousins finished that game with 317 passing yards and four touchdowns (three passing and one rushing), including the game-winner to tight end Jordan Reed. It was the largest comeback in franchise history. Cousins tied the then-franchise record for completions in a game with 33.
Following that performance, a hyped-up Cousins was caught on camera making his way to the locker room deep in the tunnels of Raymond James Stadium. Pointing emphatically, a young Cousins screamed, "You like that? You like that?"
And in that quick second, lore — as much as a tagline — was born.
It's a moment that etched its way into the career of Cousins. But you don't have "You like that?" without having the lead-up to it.
So, this moment that Cousins is currently in — with a poor performance putting his back against the wall — isn't new to him. He's always had to bounce back. It's been a calling card of his quarterback story.
Some would say that's the marker of resilience, to somehow, someway respond to adversity over and over again. Others would say its an indictment to be in a position to have to do this so often. But the fact does remain: Cousins has bounced back before.
In the midst of a three-game losing streak, the Falcons need him to do so again. This time for them.
"It's just kind of been a deal in this league, in football and my journey, it's always kicked you down, but you've got to find a way to get back up," Cousins said, "and I find myself there again. I wish I could say I wasn't in that spot, but I find myself there again."
In moments like this throughout his career, Cousins leans on the notion that "tough times don't last, tough people do." So, you keep pushing.
"At some point they'll tell you that, 'Hey, you're not going to get another chance. Your time is up in this league,'" Cousins said. "But until then, I'm going to keep trying to pick myself up off the mat and get back to work."
With postseason hopes and a division crown still in reach, the Falcons need him to.
