Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III defended himself against criticism of Kirk Cousins ​​after the veteran quarterback led the team on a six-play, 70-yard drive late in the fourth quarter to cap a stunning 22-21 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday night.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Bates said he was “glad we” got Cousins ​​after his last-minute heroics gave the Falcons their first win of the season.

“Kirk has been criticized so much all week. ‘Kirk can’t move. Kirk can’t do that,'” Bates said. “And then to see his poise, that wasn’t his first two-minute drive, and to see how sharp he was … The leaders on this team, we rely on when it’s time to make a play, and I’m glad we have him.”

There were major concerns about the health of Cousins’ Achilles tendon after his lackluster performance in Week 1. He finished the 18-10 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers completing 16 of 26 passes for 155 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.

Beyond the game report, however, the focus was on how Cousins ​​moved in that game and how predictable the offense had to be to account for that. There were also videos from the Falcons’ practice in the days leading up to the game against the Eagles where he appeared to have very limited mobility.

Cousins ​​didn’t help when Troy Aikman said on the Monday Night Football Before kickoff, it was broadcast that the Falcons quarterback told him that he was not 100 percent healthy, but that he felt 100 percent in the pocket.

That proved prophetic, as the Eagles didn’t have a single pressure on the Falcons’ final drive. Cousins ​​was able to stand in the pocket and pick apart the defense. He completed 5 of 6 passes for 70 yards and capped it all off with a 7-yard touchdown pass to Drake London with 34 seconds left.

Cousins ​​finished the game completing 20 of 29 passes for 241 yards and two touchdowns, with no interceptions and being sacked just once.

Even more encouraging for the Falcons, Cousins ​​looked increasingly confident as the game went on. They had just zero points and 42 yards on 10 plays on their first two drives before scoring on five of their next six possessions.

Cousins ​​suffered a torn Achilles tendon on October 29, 2023, and did not play in any preseason games for the Falcons. Week 1 was his first game since the injury, so it was reasonable to expect some rust against a good Steelers defense.

Now that Cousins ​​and the offense have seemingly found a rhythm they can continue, the Falcons look a lot more interesting as a potential playoff contender in the NFC. In Week 3, they can prove where they stand in the overall NFL hierarchy when they host the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday night.