CNN
—

Kirk Cousins ​​threw for a franchise-record 509 yards on Thursday Night Football as the Atlanta Falcons staged another dramatic comeback, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 36-30 in overtime.

After Atlanta kicker Younghoe Koo hit a last-second 52-yard field goal to tie the game and force OT, Cousins ​​went three for three on throws for 69 yards, finding KhaDarel Hodge with one 45-yard touchdown pass – the quarterback’s fourth TD of the game – to clinch a dramatic win.

The 36-year-old, who signed a $180 million contract with Atlanta in March after being traded from the Minnesota Vikings, surpassed the previous franchise record of 503 yards set by Matt Ryan against the Carolina Panthers in 2016. Coincidentally, the new record came the night Ryan was inducted into the Falcons’ Ring of Honor.

Cousins ​​also surpassed his own career-high of 460 yards, which he threw for with the Vikings in 2022, and also set his personal best of four touchdown passes in a game.

According to NFL Research, the four-time Pro Bowl QB joins Tom Brady as the only players to record more than 500 passing yards and more than four touchdown throws in a primetime game.

“What a night,” Cousins ​​said afterward, according to the AP. “I’m exhausted.”

Remarkably, Atlanta has trailed in the final minute of the fourth quarter in all five games this season, but has won three of them. The Falcons are the first team in NFL history to achieve such a feat in the season opener.

“I’m proud of the way our team fought,” Cousins ​​said, according to NFL.com. “I’m proud of the resilience we showed to just keep going and play through things. I’m just proud of the courage. That’s what this league needs and we came out tough tonight and were happy to win.

“Win or lose, I would have been happy with the steps we took offensively tonight, but it’s a lot of fun to win and have that moment on the field with your teammates and home fans.”

Both teams started fast, scoring touchdowns on their first possessions of the game, with Cousins ​​opening the contest with an 18-yard TD toss to Drake London.

After Bucs signalman Baker Mayfield’s two-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans and a 53-yard field goal from Tampa Bay kicker Chase McLaughlin, Cousins ​​set up a 24-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter against Darnell Mooney restored Atlanta’s lead.

Mayfield had an excellent game of his own, throwing two more touchdown passes before halftime. Another McLaughlin field goal late in the third quarter meant the Bucs took a 27-20 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

With 13:18 left, Cousins ​​found Mooney at the 10-yard line, who spun past Tykee Smith and raced into the end zone to tie the game again before McLaughlin’s third field goal of the night made it 30-27 -Tampa Bay equalized.

But with 1:14 left, the Falcons got the ball back at their own 20 yards and Cousins ​​completed five passes to advance to the Bucs’ 29-yard line. In the final second, Koo’s field goal forced overtime and allowed Cousins ​​to write his name in the history books.

The QB found Hodge at the 40, who deflected a tackle, found a gap in the secondary and stormed into the end zone to complete the dramatic walkoff win.