Kirk Cousins leads Falcons on last-gasp drive for comeback win over Eagles

Kirk Cousins led a flawless last-minute drive for Atlanta and connected with Drake London for a seven-yard touchdown with 34 seconds left to give the Falcons a 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.

Saquon Barkley dropped a short pass that stopped the clock with 1:46 left and forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal instead of a game-sealing first down. That was plenty of time for Cousins – especially against an Eagles defense playing soft coverage with a nonexistent pass rush.

The 36-year-old veteran, playing his second game since tearing his achilles tendon last October while playing for Minnesota, shook off an uneven effort and hit Darnell Mooney for 21 and 26 yards on consecutive plays during the final drive.

Cousins found London on a short pass to his right for the tying score, and Younghoe Koo put Atlanta (1-1) on top with a 48-yard extra point after London was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct.

“I am still not sharp enough. I didn’t feel like I was sharp enough today, accurate enough,” Cousins said after the game. “I have to be better. But that last drive can hopefully give us a boost going into next week and we can build on that. I was pleased with the way we finished tonight but there’s still so much to be better with.”

Jalen Hurts had his final pass intercepted by Jessie Bates III to seal Atlanta’s win and set off a wild celebration on the sideline.

The Eagles (1-1) went ahead on Hurts’ one-yard tush push score with 6:47 left. Barkley finished with 95 yards on 22 carries in his home debut for Philadelphia, but his drop provided the Falcons with some hope. And then Cousins started playing like the QB Atlanta thought they were getting when they signed him to a four-year, $180m contract.